Variety reports that Warner Bros. Discovery will give DC Studios its primary production hub at the UK-based film and TV studio, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
The former home of Harry Potter and the current base for House of the Dragon, this comes as part of a plan to expand the location by 50%, adding 10 new sound stages. Ground won't actually be broken until 2024, with the targeted completion date currently set for 2027.
It's said that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will consult with the team leading this expansion to "ensure that their ideas are incorporated" into these newly constructed facilities.
This is a huge sign of confidence in DC Studios from WBD, though if the DCEU ultimately goes the same way as the DCEU...well, we're sure other uses will be found for all that extra space (there is a new Harry Potter Max series in the works, remember).
"Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is globally recognized for its exceptional soundstages and facilities," Warner Bros. Discovery Studios COO Simon Robinson says, "and with this planned expansion adding significant capacity and capabilities, it will be home to even more incredible storytelling for both film and television projects."
"We are proud to not only be growing our productions in Leavesden and making it the main hub for DC Studios, but also to be growing our economic and community contributions to the UK’s creative sector."
That economic growth will include 4,000 new jobs and an increase to the UK economy from the studio by upwards of £200 million.
Gunn shot Guardians of the Galaxy in the UK and will presumably move to the country when DC Studios is fully formed. Movies like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Batman were primarily shot in the country, and we expect to see the DCU populated by a lot of British actors in minor roles!
DC Studios has big plans for the DCU, with characters taking centre stage in movies and TV shows. On the big screen, we're getting Superman: Legacy, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing.
As for the small screen, Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold are all in various stages of development. Leavesden is currently home to a Harry Potter museum featuring sets and props...could a DCU one follow down the line? Here's hoping.