SUPERMAN prequel 'Krypton' has been confirmed as the first major production to be shot at the new £20 million Belfast Harbour Studios.
A one-hour series from Phantom Four, in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television for the SyFy channel, will commence pre-production in Belfast this month, with a shoot date of late summer.
Starring a raft of top actors including Cameron Cuffe (The Halcyon), Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones) and Georgina Campbell (Broadchurch), it further cements Northern Ireland's position as a favoured location for major film and television productions.
The purpose built Harbour Studios - first unveiled to the global screen industry at the Cannes Film Festival last year - are set on an eight-acre site within the 340-acre Giant’s Park development.
The complex consists of two film studios, workshops which will be used for set construction and separate production offices to accommodate art departments, dressing rooms and wardrobe functions.
And given the strong demand for such high quality space, the scheme has also been future-proofed to accommodate additional studio and workshop space on an adjoining two-acre site.
David Dobbin, chairman of Belfast Harbour, said: “Welcoming our first tenant to Belfast Harbour Studios is hugely exciting for us.
"Working with Northern Ireland Screen and hosting visits from many production companies has shown there is a need for a facility like this.
"We regard our investment in the studios as a good business opportunity for Belfast Harbour and good for the local economy and our rapidly growing media sector. We look forward to working with Warner and further enhancing Northern Ireland’s reputation in the film industry.”
Richard Williams, chief executive of NI Screen, added: “We are delighted to welcome Warner Horizon to Northern Ireland.
"Securing Krypton is a real coup for us and cements our position as a world-class filming location with a local and highly skilled crew-base with vast experience. The construction of the new studios by Belfast Harbour has added tremendous value to our overall proposition.”
Set two generations before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steel’s home planet, Krypton follows Superman’s grandfather (played by Cameron Cuffe), whose House of El was ostracized and shamed, as he fights to redeem his family’s honour and save his beloved world from chaos.
Other stars in Krypton include Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons), Ann Ogbomo (World War Z), Rasmus Hardiker (Your Highness), Wallis Day (Will) and Aaron Pierre (Tennison).
