Written by Kianna Best on Jun 4, 2024. Posted in Production News

Shepperton Studios turns into space for new Ryan Gosling feature

In March, Shepperton Studios was reported as the second largest studio in the world. This month, Ryan Gosling and Anatomy of a Fall's Sandra Hüller will commence filming at the supersized state of the art facilities upcoming feature Project Hail Mary. The Amazon MGM Studio production will make use of their occupied nine stages for filming the space set project scheduled for released in 2026.

Image courtesy of NASA by Unsplash

Home to previous projects such as Bridgerton, The Crown, Sex Education, Matilda the Musical and Golden Globe-winning 1917, the studio has seen an impressive USD 6 billion investment over the past 4 years. As part of their expansion, Shepperton Studios is home to 31 purpose built sound stages, nine under the rule of Amazon MGM Studios, and 22 under Netflix. The site now covers 1.5m sq ft, approved by Spelthorne Council in 2019.

“It feels fitting that, 10 years from the launch of Prime Video, we’re beginning our tenure in brand new facilities at Shepperton Studios,” Chris Bird, managing director of Prime Video UK stated on the occupation at Shepperton. “It’s so exciting that some of our most loved series and movies around the world will be made right here in the UK, including season three of our fantastic UK Original The Devil’s Hour. Shepperton Studios have long been synonymous with world class filmmaking, and we’re delighted to continue supporting and investing in the UK creative industries.”

Paul Golding, Pinewood Group chairman, stated on the announcement of the expansion: “We’re incredibly pleased to have opened our new state-of-the-art facilities at Shepperton Studios and to see Netflix and Amazon MGM Studios making this long-term commitment to the studios and to the UK.”

Based on the book by Andy Weir and from the screenplay of Drew Goddard, Project Hail Mary will transform Shepperton into space. The story stars Gosling as Ryland Grace, an astronaut who finds himself alone on a space station after waking up from a coma and not knowing how he got there. Throughout the course of the film and as his memory returns, Grace discovers that he is on a mission to travel to Tau Ceti solar system in an attempt to save Earth from another Ice Age.

Taking to the directorial helm of the project are Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with Gosling, Weir, Amy Pacal, Aditya Sood and Rachel O’Connor alongside the duo for production.