Construction begins on Lionsgate Newark, NJ’s first purpose-built film production studio
Renderings courtesy of Lionsgate/Great Point Studios
Construction has officially begun on New Jersey’s first purpose-built film and television production studio in Newark. Last week, Lionsgate, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) marked the start of work on the Lionsgate Newark film studio, a major investment expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the city’s South Ward. Located on the former Seth Boyden Housing complex, the 12-acre site represents the largest new development in the neighborhood in decades.
Owned and operated by Great Point Studios, the media hub’s long-term tenant anchor, Lionsgate, will receive naming rights to the studio. Matrix Development is serving as the project’s developer, while Gensler leads architectural design and master planning.
Lionsgate Newark will include multiple soundstages, production offices, and set-building space, along with full on-site production services such as grip and electric, equipment storage, catering, props, parking, and security.
The project will create more than 600 long-term production jobs in the city and generate over $800 million in annual economic impact. During construction, developers will dedicate 40 percent of total worker hours to Newark residents. The developers have also committed to award 25 percent of construction contracts to Minority Business Enterprises, and 7 percent to Women’s Business Enterprises.
Once the studio opens, 70 percent of full-time positions—including maintenance, engineering, janitorial, administrative, landscaping, and security roles—will be reserved for Newark residents. Local residents will also receive priority consideration for all studio jobs.
Studio stakeholders also plan to collaborate with the Newark Board of Education to develop film, television, broadcast, and other industry-related curricula for students, along with training and apprenticeship programs from Great Point Studios and NJPAC that provide youth a pathway into the entertainment industry.
The Arts Center has also committed to offering at least 15 arts and community programs annually in the South Ward, providing arts education and cultural programming for young people in local parks, schools, and community centers.
In addition, the developers have earmarked $300,000 in community funding to enhance quality of life in the South Ward. Upon completion, Great Point will provide $200,000 in grants to 10 local organizations, while $100,000 will go to the South Ward Environmental Alliance to support green jobs programs and environmental improvements.
The South Ward will also benefit from additional studio-sponsored initiatives, including a $50,000 grant from the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development for improvements to sidewalks, facades, green spaces, and streetscapes. The studio has also committed to dust control, noise management, environmental reporting, and the use of solar panels, further supporting the city’s sustainability efforts.
Last week’s groundbreaking event, held at the Temple of Hip Hop, featured the signing of a Community Benefits Agreement, detailing the studio developers’ commitment to ensuring that the project brings benefits to both Newark and South Ward residents through new jobs, educational programs, and other efforts.
Lionsgate joins other new film studios opening in the Garden State. In May, Netflix broke ground on a new $1 billion production facility at Fort Monmouth, a largely vacant, 292-acre former US Army installation. ACX1 Studios opened in Atlantic City in 2023, a film studio from the Matrix Development Group is coming to West Orange, and 1888 Studios will open in Bayonne.
“This initiative is more than just a film studio; it is a profound commitment to the future of Newark and to the future of the film industry in New Jersey,” Gov. Phil Murphy said of the Lionsgate studios.
“I am proud of the work that our administration has done to attract leading entertainment companies, such as Lionsgate, to our state. This growing sector will drive economic growth by creating thousands of new jobs, supporting local businesses, and bringing meaningful investments to the community.”
Plans for the project first emerged in spring 2022. The $125 million development will replace the former Seth Boyden Housing complex, an 82-year-old public housing site that was demolished in February 2022 after being shuttered in 2015 due to rising maintenance costs and public safety concerns, according to Real Estate NJ.
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