By Carole Dennett
The long-awaited dream of a state-of-the-art film and TV studio in East Cowes has taken a giant leap forward, bringing with it the promise of jobs and prosperity for the Island.
Kingston Marine Park is finally set to become home to Medina Studios Ltd (MSL), a company founded by three seasoned film industry professional.
After nearly 2 1⁄2 years of negotiations and some unforeseeable hurdles, the IW Council has finalised the sale arrangements with MSL, paving the way for the development plans to become reality. The agreement, initially approved in November 2022, experienced delays due to the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes in Spring 2023, which disrupted the global film industry for more than a year. This has resulted in a significant backlog of pent-up demand in the sector.
The vision for Medina Studios was born during the filming of The Beast Must Die for BritBox in 2020. While working on the production, Neil Blewett, a film professional with extensive industry experience, was excited by the Island’s wide range of locations and decided coupling them with cutting-edge studio production facilities would make a winning combination.
He shared his vision with his neighbour, David Godfrey, a former director of international operations for Pinewood Studios, who was initially sceptical. However, after visiting the Island and witnessing its untapped potential, David’s reservations turned into enthusiasm.
To bring their vision to life, Neil and David approached Duncan Heath, an Island resident for more than 50 years. Together, the trio established Medina Studios Ltd, marking the start of the ambitious plan to put the Isle of Wight on the global filmmaking map.
The Isle of Wight Council has confirmed that, despite delays and changes to the plans caused by the Hollywood strike, the revised terms of the deal will deliver a “broadly similar” financial return for the Council to that originally envisaged. The deal also ensures that the land, originally acquired by the council at a significant discount from the Homes and Communities Agency, will meet its intended purpose of delivering employment and economic growth as well as giving a “significant return” on the council’s original investment.
MSL demonstrated its dedication to the project by successfully obtaining detailed planning consent for the development, even before the land transfer was agreed. “This demonstrates a high level of commitment,” said the council’s official notice.
Final technical due diligence has been completed, and lawyers on both sides have spent seven months finalising the “large and complex transaction”, and contracts will now be exchanged as soon as possible.
The new studio promises to be a game-changer for the Island, bringing with it high-quality employment opportunities and economic growth. As well as creative and technical opportunities, and bringing professionals to the Island, productions will showcase the Isle of Wight’s stunning natural beauty and backdrops to a global audience. The number of new jobs is estimated to be in the region of 150 construction jobs over the build period, then 400 full-time equivalent jobs in film and production and around 250 jobs supported in the supply chain.
Mal Butler