Pinewood: The Story of an Iconic Studio

Pinewood and Shepperton studios are the power houses of British film production. From James Bond to Alien, Star Wars to Gandhi, from an 8,000 gallon exterior tank for underwater filming to over 200 acres of location space, Pinewood and Shepperton have constantly pushed the boundaries for cinematic production. Pinewood and Shepperton: 80 years delves behind the scenes to explore both the rich past and the shining future of the two studios.

As well as classic, blockbuster and innovative films, Pinewood and Shepperton: 80 years also explores the studio’s long time relationship with directors, producers and craftsmen– from Attenborough to Korda to Kubrick to Lean to Ridley Scott and Mendes and JJ Abrams and many, many more. Whilst looking at the incredible sets and engineering we will meet the production teams and craftsmen – from set builders to sfx teams – that have been the backbone of the studios over the years.

Pinewood and Shepperton: 80 years is a book for both connoisseur and enthusiast alike. Fully authorized by the studios, as well as intimate access behind the scenes,we are also shown a unique collection of stunning photos, the majority of which have never been in print. It dazzles with the breadth of the story and the amazing number of movies that emerged from these two great dream factories for, after all, memories are what these studios have been making for the last eighty years.

Bob McCabe is a noted film critic, broadcaster, journalist and screenwriter. He is the author of Harry Potter: Page to Screen and several other film books, including authorised biographies of The Pythons and Ronnie Barker, The Rough Guide to Comedy Movies, Dark Knights and Holy Fools: The Art and Films of Terry Gilliam and the BFI book on The Exorcist.