VERSA and Future Artists Entertainment Join Forces to Launch International Film Production Hub

Future Artist Entertainment (FAE), one of the fastest growing UK film production companies, will permanently locate its Northern business to VERSA Leeds Studios. 

VERSA and FAE will join forces to launch an international Film production hub at VERSA Studios in Leeds city centre - a world class film making home, offering production services and facilities including four sound stages ranging from 10,000 sq. ft to 27,000 sq. ft. Versa and FAE will add post-production and VFX services as well as outreach and educational programs.

FAE, founded in 2019 by Matt Williams and Martin Owen, has generated over $150 million of production spend since its inception, producing fourteen films, seven of which have been produced in Manchester and Leeds with two of those made in conjunction with VERSA Manchester city centre studios.

FAE is one the UK’s fastest growing movie production businesses and is best known for movies such as the Netflix hit Bank of Dave, Sky Original’s Pokerface starring Russel Crowe, Last Train to Christmas starring Michael Sheen and the Welsh true story Save The Cinema starring Samantha Morton, Tom Felton and Jonathan Pryce. 

VERSA is the UK's largest national network of TV Broadcast, Film & Drama, Live Event, Immersive and Gaming studios in London, Manchester and Leeds. VERSA is positioned at the forefront of re-imagining studio spaces and having opened in Leeds in mid 2022 has already welcomed a wide variety of high-profile TV and Film productions, most recently, Netflix’s hugely popular crime thriller Bodies, Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, ITV’s Platform 7, BBC thriller Boat Story and ITV’s Yorkshire Ripper drama The Long-Shadow as well as Feature Film Typist Artist Pirate King. 

The wider VERSA Manchester and London studios have previously welcomed recent projects The John Bishop Show, Dragons' Den, and the Bafta winning Friday Night Live. They also house long-term clients BBC Morning Live, Crystal Maze and the motion capture studio Cloud Imperium Games. 

VERSA's sister company Department has also recently opened a multi creative and tech industries workplace hub in Leeds Dock which will add a whole range of facilities for FAE and other production companies to enjoy. 

As a result of this new partnership, FAE will make VERSA Leeds its Northern home and, for future productions, FAE will utilise the brand-new state of the art film studio facilities created in the city. 

FAE will shoot Amazon Studios’ and Gulfstream Pictures’ Upgraded; a film set in New York but shot in Leeds with VERSA Studios in 2024. The FAE Versa Studios partnership is testament to the potential of the city of Leeds to become an internationally recognised production hub with international appeal for first class content creatives at a competitively priced facility. 

VERSA and FAE will jointly promote the Studios and seek to welcome a range of other production companies and projects through its doors as well as working closely with FAE’s own productions. Sustainability and Education will remain high on the agenda for the hub.

Matt Williams CEO of Future Artists Entertainment said, “We are delighted with this new venture. There are significant advantages in collaborating as global leading partners with VERSA Studios, and in making our Northern hub the city of Leeds. The Leeds VERSA facility is tremendous, and has a really diverse inventory allowing for up to three productions to be ongoing at the same time. We have worked closely with the VERSA team and their sister property company, Allied London, on several of our productions and they are fantastic to work with. We are really excited about what we can do together in Leeds.”

Charlie Ingall founder and executive director of VERSA Studios said, “This partnership is the latest high-profile news for VERSA where we have adapted to the ever-changing media production industry. FAE is a fast growing and successful production company who consistently deliver production projects and this partnership is testament to the VERSA Studios continued growth to date. Together, we will continue to create a unique production hub in Leeds with global appeal. Attracting both domestic and international productions means we can also focus on nurturing next gen talent to ensure more access into the industry, and maintain a strong, talented crew base with employment opportunities in the wider creative industries sector in Leeds and beyond. An exciting time for both VERSA and FAE.”