SURREY — A California-based movie and TV production company is moving into the former Kennedy Heights press building on 88th Avenue, according to Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner.
She told a business luncheon today that Skydance Media will be using the 220,000-square-foot structure to film a new sci-fi television series.
“They’re putting in five sound stages to accommodate a production staff of up to 400 as they produce programming for Netflix on a multi-year feature production about a city of the future, called ‘Altered Carbon,’” the mayor said during her State of the City address at the Sheraton hotel in Guildford.
“What better place to tell a story about a city of the future, than right here in Surrey, a real city of the future,” the mayor told the crowd.
Pacific Newspaper Group vacated its printing press building in January 2015 (Click here to read the Now story published at the time).
Skydance Media film projects include “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation,” “Terminator Genisys,” “World War Z” and “Star Trek: Into Darkness.” The company is also set to release “Star Trek Beyond” in theatres on July 22.
A Skydance company spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.
According to a Jan. 20 post at Deadline.com, Netflix has picked up “Altered Carbon,” described as a futuristic drama series conceived, written and executive-produced by Laeta Kalogridis (“Avatar,” “Shutter Island,” “Terminator Genesis”). “The project,” reported Deadline.com, “which has received a 10-episode order, is based on Richard Morgan’s award-winning 2002 cyberpunk sci-fi novel of the same name. Skydance Television, which produces Netflix comedy ‘Grace and Frankie,’ is the studio.”
In the big picture, Hepner said film crews are very busy working at a variety of places around Surrey this year.
“When it comes to issuing filming permits, we’re 70 per cent ahead of this time last year, and last year was record-breaking,” the mayor said in her speech.