Shinfield Studios has hosted high-profile features and dramas including The Magic Faraway Tree and The Acolyte

Shinfield Studios’ joint managing directors Nick Smith and Ian Johnson will retire at the end of this year, having been involved with the purpose-built facility since the very start.

Smith and Johnson oversaw negotiations to acquire the site and the masterplan design, went on to secure planning permission and were instrumental in the construction and delivery of the finished complex, which since opening has been home to high-profile projects including The Acolyte, Greenland: Migration, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and The Magic Faraway Tree.

Shinfield Studios, part of Shadowbox Studios, opened in phases, becoming fully operational this summer. Based near Reading, it is the UK’s largest film and TV studio with 18 soundstages, ranging from 17,000 to 43,000 sq ft. There are 38 workshops, office spaces and a nine-acre backlot.

The daily operations of Shinfield Studios will now be led by Dean Horne, vice president of global studio operations, and Charlene St Aubyn, financial controller, who have been part of the team since the early phases of construction.

Peter Rumbold, CEO of Shadowbox Studios, said: “I would like to thank both Nick and Ian for all of their efforts in helping to create a world class film and television studio in Shinfield. They’ve paved the way for our best-in-class operations team, led by Dean Horne, and secured an exceptional pipeline of productions into 2025 and beyond.”