Planet of the Apes and Batman firm to create 250 jobs with new £28 million Scottish studio
“Our new Scotland studio strengthens our ability to collaborate seamlessly across time zones” – Chris Ferriter, Halon Entertainment
A US animation and visualisation company is to invest £28 million in a new Glasgow studio, creating as many as 250 jobs.
Founded in 2003, Los Angeles-based Halon Entertainment has worked on blockbuster movies such as the Planet of the Apes franchise, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and The Batman, television series including The Mandalorian and Epic Games’ online video game and game platform Fortnite. It is seen as a pioneer in visualisation and virtual production for feature films, and a key provider of final animation for the gaming industry.
Now, the firm will expand operations to Glasgow, having been drawn to the city by a skilled workforce in areas including computer graphics, animation and digital technology, as well as the city’s “world-renowned” academic institutions.
Los Angeles will remain the home of Halon’s headquarters with the Scottish studio “complementing and strengthening its operations”. The plans see the company creating up to 250 roles over the next three years.
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.”
Economic development agency Scottish Enterprise is providing Halon with advisory services and £3.9 million of funding towards the overall project cost.
Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “I’m excited to welcome Halon to Glasgow. 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.”
According to Invest Glasgow, the city hosts a third of UK regional tech firms working in the creative economy. Key areas of strength include immersive technologies, digital design and marketing, media production, and animation and visualisation.
Across Scotland, an estimated total of almost £620m was spent on the production of film, TV and other visual content in 2021, according to the most recent figures published by Screen Scotland.
Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland, said: “We warmly welcome Halon to Glasgow. 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.”
Scottish culture secretary Angus Robertson added: “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.”
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