1888 Studios

1888 Studios is a proposed film and television studio planned to be built on a 70-acre (28 ha) site at Bergen Point in Bayonne, New Jersey.[1][2] Its name is a nod to the year the movie camera was invented.[3] At 1.5M million gross square feet, reports say it will be the largest ground-up movie studio complex in North America.[4]

Bergen Point, site of proposed studio

The waterfront brownfield site on the Kill van Kull and Newark Bay was a former Texaco site rezoned in 2020 in a redevelopment plan to permit a film studio to be built.[5][6] When completed, it will be New Jersey's largest film and television studio[7] and will include a part of the Hackensack RiverWalk.

The project, which will include approximately 19 buildings,[8] is estimated to cost $700 million in construction and $200 million in land development. The City of Bayonne floated a bond of $65 million to support the project.[9] as well a PILOT agreement.[10] Projected to cost over $1 billion, it is being spearheaded by Arpad Busson with incentives from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.[11]

The studio lot was designed by architectural firm Gensler.[4] Construction was expected to start in 2024[12] and take 2 years.[13]

In October 2025, Paramount Skydance announced that it had signed a minimum 10-year, 285,000-square-foot (26,500 m2) lease at 1888 Studios.[14] The groundbreaking took place on December 16, 2025.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ^ West, Teri (March 25, 2022). "Old 74-acre Texaco site in Bayonne to house LA-style film studio". The Jersey Journal.
  2. ^ Bastos, Margarida (March 27, 2022). "1888 Studios: Massive Production Lot Planned for New Jersey Waterfront". Collider.
  3. ^ "1.5M SF Motion Picture Studio Planned for Bayonne". New Jersey Business Magazine. October 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Israel, Daniel (January 13, 2023). "Bayonne's planned 1888 Studios granted site reconfiguration". Hudson Reporter.
  5. ^ Fry, Chris (October 14, 2020). "Bayonne Looks to Facilitate a Film Studio on 70 Waterfront Acres". Jersey Digs.
  6. ^ "Massive Production Lot Planned for New Jersey Waterfront". Vergexpress. March 27, 2022.
  7. ^ Fry, Chris (March 25, 2022). "Renderings Revealed for NJ's Largest Film Production Complex in Bayonne". Jersey Digs.
  8. ^ Bastos, Margarida (March 27, 2022). "1888 Studios: Massive Production Lot Planned for New Jersey Waterfront". Collider.
  9. ^ Israel, Daniel (November 16, 2022). "Bayonne prepares $65 million in bonds to support film studio". Hudson Reporter.
  10. ^ West, Teri (January 27, 2023). "$65 million bond, PILOT agreement for 1888 Studios in Bayonne clears first hurdle". The Jersey Journal.
  11. ^ Lookman, Moses (May 20, 2024). "New Jersey Greenlights $1+ Billion Studio in Bayonne to Elevate Film and TV Production". Hudson Reporter.
  12. ^ Fry, Chris (September 28, 2022). "Bayonne's Massive 1888 Studios Redevelopment to Begin Construction Next Year". Jersey Digs.
  13. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (May 8, 2024). "New Jersey Approves Massive Studio Complex In Bayonne As State Pushes To Attract Production". Deadline. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (October 28, 2025). "Paramount To Anchor New 1888 Studios In Bayonne, New Jersey". Deadline. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  15. ^ "1888 Studios Breaks Ground on New Jersey's Largest Film & Television Production Campus". Business Wire. December 16, 2025 – via Yahoo Finance.
  16. ^ Vannozzi, Briana (December 16, 2025). "NJ breaks ground on major production studio in Bayonne". NJ Spotlight News. Retrieved January 1, 2026.

40°38′51″N 74°08′29″W / 40.64750°N 74.14139°W / 40.64750; -74.14139