Fulwell73 boss on making Sunderland a 'global hub' with film studio plans
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Earlier this year, FulwellCain Studios, a joint venture between Cain International and Fulwell 73, announced their plans to build Crown Works Studios on the Crown Works site in Pallion, which once played a key role in the shipbuilding and crane production industry when Sunderland was the biggest shipbuilder in the world.
Now, the global spotlight could fall on the site once more with ambitious plans to build one of Europe’s largest filmmaking complexes, which will create more than 8,500 regional jobs and generate more than £2billion of economic value for the North East in its first decade of operation.
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Hide AdSpeaking at a sold out event organised by the North East England Chamber of Commerce, Leo spoke of how the team are proud to be honouring Sunderland’s rich industrial heritage whilst also building a new future of production in the creative industries.
![Heralding a new era of global production in Sunderland](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjJlMWFhMGE4LWE0ZjktNDdlNy05N2IzLTVhY2M5OWNmYTgxNzphYTFlNzk0ZC0xMzgzLTRmMDYtYTI1Yy1jYTRlZGNjMzFjYTg=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Heralding a new era of global production in Sunderland](/img/placeholder.png)
Leo, co-founder and managing partner at Fulwell 73, said at the Chamber’s President’s Supper: “It is truly a great honour to be asked to address you all this evening - you the business leaders of the North East, the people who create the jobs and the opportunities, and drive so much of the commercial success that this great region enjoys.
“I invite you all to come with us on this journey – to believe in this project – I promise it will be worth it. We have all the ingredients to make this region a production powerhouse for TV and film.
“It makes solid business sense to invest in the North East – for Fulwell, for the screen industries, and for the UK. It’s time for the North East to prove what it’s capable of.”
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Hide AdFulwell 73, whose partners include Gabe Turner, Ben Turner, Leo Pearlman, Ben Winston and James Corden, is named after the year SAFC won the FA Cup and the old Fulwell End at Roker Park where Leo once stood to watch matches with his cousins.
![Leo Pearlman, co-founder and managing partner, Fulwell 73; Deborah Walton, chief financial officer, Palintest and Chamber vice president; Geoffrey Stanford, headmaster, RGS; Rory McKeand, chief executive officer, TSG.](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjNhYTI5ZjJmLTNhNDItNGI0My1hMzBjLTZkMDM2ZjRkZGNhMDphM2IzYWI0Zi03MTEzLTQ4MjgtYmNkMi03MDk4ZDdhYWI5NTE=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Leo Pearlman, co-founder and managing partner, Fulwell 73; Deborah Walton, chief financial officer, Palintest and Chamber vice president; Geoffrey Stanford, headmaster, RGS; Rory McKeand, chief executive officer, TSG.](/img/placeholder.png)
The studio plans build on Fulwell 73’s existing presence in the city, with offices at Sunderland University, as well as in London and LA.
Leo, whose family had a business in the region for more than 120 years, added: “This is a region which relies on its own personality, its strength of character, its stubbornness to survive and to thrive. I’ve tried to use this as part of the building blocks of my own business, Fulwell 73.
“‘73’ refers to the glorious Sunderland FA Cup victory that lives long in the memory. The name of our company is one that forever reminds us of where we come from, and of what is possible if you just dare to dream.
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Hide Ad“About 12 miles from here on the banks of the River Wear, lies an eighty-acre plot of land with a long industrial tradition – a proud history as a site for shipbuilding and crane construction.
![The site of studio plans on the old Crown Works site, which once housed Coles Cranes](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/webimg/b25lY21zOmRlMTYxNmNhLTdiNGEtNDVjZS1hYjllLThkYzY3MjZiMmU0YzoyYzBlZGM2Ny1jNjU0LTQ1NjItOTJkYy0zOGVlNDM5NGRkZmE=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![The site of studio plans on the old Crown Works site, which once housed Coles Cranes](/img/placeholder.png)
“Crown Works as it was known, once helped power the industrial revolution – so it seems fitting that it’s about to power another one – becoming a global hub of production once again – as Crown Works Studios.”
He added: “While previous generations knew the North East as a centre for coal mining, ship building and heavy industry – our dream is that future generations will know it for film and TV production.”
How studio plans are coming together
Work on the complex is due to begin next year, and once complete, Crown Works Studios will be a 1.7 million square foot facility at Pallion, complete with 20 sound stages for making films and high-end TV shows.
![A CGI of how Crown Works Studios could look](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjUyZjAxMWEwLTAwMGEtNGRiNS1iMTBlLWQ4MWE1NTg4N2JmYTpkZDdjOGM1Yi1jY2E2LTQwMmUtOTdlZS01ZWE0N2RjNmM0MmQ=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![A CGI of how Crown Works Studios could look](/img/placeholder.png)