New Gran Canaria film studios expected to be operational by 2021

A new 21,000 square meter studio complex on the island of Gran Canaria is currently under construction and expected to be ready for productions in 2021.

The major Canary Islands complex is due to complete construction by the end of this year or beginning of 2021 and will then be operational by the second or third quarter of 2021.

The site will offer two independent soundstages of 1,200 square metres and 1,800 square metres, 12 meters high with built in lighting and scenic bridges. There will also be workshops, storage buildings, and space for the art department, hair and make-up and costume departments, offices, meeting rooms and backlots.

This will be a huge boost to the Canary Islands, which have already proven popular, recently hosting Netflix’s fantasy drama series The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill, which filmed on La Palma and Gran Canaria, and Marvel’s The Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden, which shot on Fuerteventura.

The Canary Islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Gomera and La Palma have been less adversely affected by coronavirus than mainland Spain, with no quarantining required and productions just need to follow their own protocols. 

As a result, local and international productions have returned since May, including HBO Europe’s first Danish original series Kamikaze, produced by Profile Pictures, which filmed in August on the island of Gran Canaria.

A further enticement is the rise from 40% to 50% for the first $1.1m (€1m) spend by international productions on the islands, and 45% for the rest, which means it is now “the best filming tax incentive in the world”, according to Lorena Martin, project manager at Canary Islands Film.