Film studio signs at Liverpool’s former Littlewoods complex

A film studio is coming to the former Littlewoods site in Liverpool as part of a plan to turn the city into the ‘Hollywood of the North’.

Twickenham Studios, best known for its work on films such as Blade Runner and The Italian Job, will occupy over 86,000 sq ft at the scheme.

Regeneration firm Capital & Centric, which is overseeing the wider £50m development, will create two 21,500 sq ft sound stages for Twickenham on the site of an old bus station, next to the main building.

Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital & Centric, which acquired the 183,000 sq ft site last year, said: “Littlewoods is one of Liverpool’s most loved buildings – it’s only fitting that we give the city something they’ll be proud of.

“Twickenham Studios couldn’t be a better fit. They’ll bring a century’s worth of film-making heritage and help to write a new chapter for the creative industries in and around Liverpool.”

Maria Walker, chief operating officer at Twickenham Studios, commented: “Liverpool’s architecture, accessibility and can-do attitude sees film makers return to the city time and time again.

“With the added benefit of our studios, they’ll have access to gold-standard interior facilities right on the doorstep of unique exterior locations. It will be great to see Liverpool become an international focal point for TV and film.”

The Littlewoods complex was built in 1938 for the family-owned business empire, but was requisitioned a year after it opened to become the wartime home of the Government’s postal censorship department.

Littlewoods took the site back after the war, but the last occupants left in the 1990s. The building has been empty since.

Liverpool is already the country’s most filmed city outside London. In 2017 it was used for 289 TV and film projects.

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