Disney plans $5bn spend after blockbuster success at Pinewood Studios – reports

Disney is planning to invest at least $5 billion in the UK and Europe over the next five years to produce movies and TV shows, the Financial Times has reported.

The news comes following the blockbuster success of Deadpool & Wolverine, produced at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, which has so far grossed almost £700 million.

Last year, the government set aside £150 million to fund four new regional film labs – one of which would be set up at Pinewood – and the studios also secured approval for a 1.4 million sq ft expansion to bring in 21 new sound stages.

“We feel like we’re really on a roll again with movies, which is fantastic,” Jan Koeppen, EMEA president of Disney, told FT.

“I’ve been positive about people going to the movies again, and especially enjoying our movies.

“We’re probably one of the fastest-growing media companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“We have been over the past few years, and we have a lot more growth ahead of us.”

It’s hoped that a good chunk of this latest investment will be spent at Pinewood, which has also played a key role in many of the latest Star Wars films.

Four Disney films are already either in or scheduled for production at the studio, including Snow White, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Roses and The Amateur, and a new Star Wars.