A new Netflix studio, first announced in 2019, is now on track to open in Bushwick in September.
The 170,000-square-foot facility will include six sound stages, editing suites, meeting rooms and a commissary, according to Bloomberg News. The stages have the capacity to film two TV shows at once.
Media and Entertainment Commissioner Anne del Castillo said in a statement, “The arrival of Netflix in Bushwick is a testament to our city’s position as a global creative capital and our commitment to local workforce development, providing jobs and economic opportunities to a neighborhood that is already experiencing tremendous growth.”
Netflix, the well-known streaming service that also produces its own programs, leased approximately 161,000 square feet to use for production and support space at 333 Johnson Ave., Bushwick, a three-story former printing facility, the Eagle reported in 2019.
Michael Manas, who oversees the development of the Bushwick facility, told Bloomberg News that Netflix would be hiring local workers and will be ordering food from local restaurants. “This really is a neighborhood project,” he said.
At the same time that it originally announced the Bushwick project, Netflix leased office space at 888 Broadway, Manhattan, that will directly create 127 new executive-level content, marketing and production development jobs over the next five years.
The company has produced numerous shows and movies in New York City, including “Dating Around,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “She’s Gotta Have It,” “The Irishman,” “Someone Great,” “Private Life” and “Russian Doll.”
The Netflix facility joins Steiner Studios, a massive production facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Steiner, which provides space for Hollywood-scale productions, is roughly 3.5 times the size of the planned Netflix site.
In 2019, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he looked forward to the jobs and productions the project will bring, and called Netflix “innovative, creative and bold — just like New Yorkers.”
Netflix has more than 139 million paid memberships in over 190 countries, who watch TV series, documentaries and feature films on the internet.
In general, the motion picture and TV business is expanding in Brooklyn. The Eagle also reported in 2020 that the aforementioned Steiner Studios plans to establish a 500,000-square-foot film and television production hub in Sunset Park.
