US animation company Halon Entertainment to open £28m studio in Glasgow

A Los Angeles-based animation and visualisation company which has worked on The Batman and Star Wars series The Mandalorian is to open a new studio in Scotland.

Halon Entertainment will invest £28m in the studio in Glasgow, creating up to 250 jobs over the next three years.

The company has worked on films such as the Planet of the Apes franchise and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in recent years, and has also worked on the video game Fortnite.

Halon said it has been attracted to Glasgow by its skilled workforce in areas including computer graphics, animation and digital technology as well as its facilities and its “world-renowned academic institutions”.

Chris Ferriter, president of Halon Entertainment, said: “With production happening across the globe, expanding our full-service studios on both sides of the Atlantic allows us to better support our clients with world-class services and top-tier talent, no matter where projects take them.

“Our new Scotland studio strengthens our ability to collaborate seamlessly across time zones and deliver exceptional work to even more productions worldwide.”

Halon said that Los Angeles will remain the home of its headquarters and the studio in Glasgow will complement and strengthen its operations.

Scotland’s culture secretary Angus Robertson said: “I greatly welcome this major investment from Halon Entertainment, which is a huge endorsement of the skills, talent and experience that Glasgow offers and the strength of Scotland’s screen sector overall.

“It marks a major boost for the digital tech, film, TV and games industries, reinforcing Scotland’s position as a global hub for creative technology.

“Together with Scottish Enterprise and Screen Scotland, the Scottish Government is committed to accelerating the growth of our screen sector.

“Inward investment like this is a key driver of that growth and the cultural and economic opportunities that come with that, including hundreds of good, well-paying jobs.”

Scotland’s national economic development agency Scottish Enterprise is providing Halon with advisory services and £3.9m of funding towards the overall project cost.

Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “It’s a huge win that an ambitious US studio has chosen Scotland as its location to expand and scale up.

“Its presence will enhance the reputation of the country’s digital tech industry, and of Glasgow as a hub of artistic and technical talent.

“It’s also a brilliant opportunity for animators and visual artists to help develop innovative creative content for movies, series and video games right here in Scotland.”

Screen Scotland also welcomed the news from Halon.

Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland, said: “We are delighted it has chosen Scotland as its UK base, thanks to the depth of our animation and visual effects talent across film, TV and video games.

“Scotland’s globally competitive offer is backed up by the UK’s recently-enhanced visual effects tax credit alongside a range of support from Screen Scotland.”

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council: “Halon’s work is crucial to so many instantly recognisable film and TV blockbusters and it’s hugely exciting that Glasgow is now a centre of production for these global screen successes.

“I’m delighted that Halon has cited our skilled workforce and world-class learning institutions as a key reason for locating in Glasgow.

“These and the fact that our city is a fantastic place to live and work is why we continue to be successful in attracting major investment, creating highly skilled jobs and boosting Glasgow’s reputation as an international centre of creativity and innovation.”