Ritesh Sharma
Created by Seth Rogen, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez and Evan Goldberg, ‘The Studio’ is a razor-sharp satire that peels back the curtain on the chaos of Hollywood, blending comedy with biting industry commentary. At its center is Matt Remick, a man thrust into the helm of a once-legendary but now struggling film studio. With star power fading and profits plummeting, he must navigate fragile egos, corporate greed, and the unpredictable nature of filmmaking while preserving the essence of storytelling.
Matt’s world is a maze of sleek glass offices, chaotic film sets, and lavish after-hours meetings where deals are sealed over cocktails and whispered promises. As he clashes with a ruthless executive, a fiercely ambitious assistant-turned-executive, and a marketing genius with an agenda of her own, the battle between art and commerce intensifies. With celebrity cameos and outrageous yet all-too-real dilemmas, ‘The Studio’ delivers an unfiltered look at the dream factory—where every script is rewritten, and every success comes at a price.
The Studio Filming Locations
Filmed across several locations in and around Los Angeles and Burbank in California, ‘The Studio’ captures the essence of Hollywood with its carefully chosen locations, seamlessly blending real industry spaces with constructed sets. The inaugural season began production in March 2024 and wrapped in October 2024, with the team working meticulously to bring the show’s vision to life. From the sunlit backlots to high-powered boardrooms, every frame reflects the energy and chaos of the film industry, setting the perfect stage for its sharp, satirical storytelling.
Sunset Gower Studios, Los Angeles
In ‘The Studio,’ Los Angeles provides a dynamic and diverse setting, with production taking place across several key locations that capture both the grandeur and the chaos of the entertainment industry. By filming in real studios, office spaces, and industry hotspots, the show ensures an authentic representation of Hollywood’s inner workings. One of the locations where filming of the show likely took place is Sunset Gower Studios – 6040 Sunset Boulevard, a historic production facility spanning 14 acres with 12 soundstages. Known for housing numerous film and television productions, its soundstages serve as the backdrop for interior office scenes, production meetings, and behind-the-scenes negotiations. The studio’s mix of classic Hollywood architecture and modern facilities allows for a visually striking contrast between the old and new Hollywood — a theme central to the series.
The Lot Studios, West Hollywood
The production also utilized The Lot at Formosa – 1041 North Formosa Avenue, West Hollywood, a compact but historically significant studio facility featuring seven soundstages, executive offices, and post-production suites. This location is used for key interior scenes, including high-stakes boardroom meetings and creative brainstorming sessions. The Lot’s intimate setting allows the series to craft the tense, closed-door moments that define the power struggles within the fictional studio.
For a more classic Hollywood feel, several sequences take place at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – 7000 Hollywood Boulevard. With its rich history and Art Deco design, the hotel serves as the setting for clandestine deals, celebratory industry parties, and moments of personal conflict between the characters. By utilizing these distinct locations, ‘The Studio’ seamlessly blends Hollywood’s corporate world with its entertainment spectacle, reinforcing the show’s sharp, satirical take on the film industry.
Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank
A significant portion of ‘The Studio’ is filmed at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios – 4000 Warner Boulevard, a 110-acre facility that serves as one of the most prominent production hubs in Hollywood. The studio, home to 36 soundstages ranging from 5,600 to 32,000 square feet, provides a versatile filming environment, allowing the show to construct intricate, large-scale sets that replicate the workings of a major film studio. The production primarily utilizes Stage 16, the tallest soundstage in North America, standing at 98 feet. This expansive space enables the crew to build elaborate office interiors, screening rooms, and executive suites with full-scale detail, ensuring an authentic representation of a functioning studio headquarters. The height of Stage 16 also allows for multi-level set designs, giving the show the flexibility to depict various industry environments, from luxurious boardrooms to hectic editing bays.
For outdoor sequences, ‘The Studio’ makes use of Midwest Street, a versatile backlot at Warner Brothers that features classic small-town facades. This location is repurposed to depict different cityscapes, including the exteriors of production offices and behind-the-scenes areas of film sets. The familiarity of Midwest Street, seen in countless other productions, adds to the series’ meta-narrative by placing fictional events in a setting deeply embedded in Hollywood history. The show also utilizes New York Street, a backlot area designed to replicate various urban landscapes. This setting is ideal for scenes involving fast-paced industry dealings, late-night creative discussions, and impromptu power moves outside the confines of the corporate office.
The flexibility of New York Street allows the production to create distinct environments without needing to film on location in real-world urban areas. In addition to its filming spaces, Warner Brothers Studios houses a dedicated post-production facility, enabling the team to edit, mix, and finalize episodes within the same complex. This integration of production and post-production streamlines the workflow, ensuring that ‘The Studio’ maintains a consistent visual and tonal quality.
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios is the home of numerous legendary productions. Stage 16, with its towering height, is used for films like ‘Inception’ and ‘The Perfect Storm,’ which required large-scale set construction. Midwest Street appears in ‘Gilmore Girls,’ ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ and ‘The Music Man,’ making it one of the most recognizable small-town backdrops in television. New York Street has been transformed for projects like ‘Friends,’ ‘ER,’ and ‘Annie,’ allowing filmmakers to bring various urban landscapes to life without ever leaving the studio lot.
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