Marvel Calls Raleigh Studios Home

Comic book fans can rest easy. The successful wave of graphic novel-inspired films has no end in sight. Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., recently signed a long-term lease agreement with Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach, California.

Marvel plans to move their corporate offices to the Raleigh lot as well, which consists of 14 sound stages on 22 acres with an additional 300,000 square feet of office and support space. Along with its sister company, Hollywood Rentals, they are now North America’s largest operator of independent film studio facilities and production services.

Marvel’s president of physical production Louis D’Esposio, says Marvel, which will become Raleigh Studios’ largest tenant, is “most excited about keeping our film production here in California and taking advantage of the best crews in the Los Angeles area.”

The benefits go both ways. “We could not have asked for a greater compliment than having a quality company like Marvel put their faith in us to provide a home for its film productions,” says Raleigh Studios president Michael Moore of the deal.

The upcoming films that will be shot on the Raleigh lot over the next three years are sure to generate big numbers at the box office in 2010 and 2011. Robert Downey Jr. will charm and excite audiences once again in Iron Man 2. The other three superhero flicks scheduled to fly into theaters include Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers.

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