Shadowbox Studios
Shadowbox Studios is an American film and television production facility located in DeKalb County, Georgia, southeast of Atlanta, offering extensive soundstages, backlots, and support services for media production.[1][2] Founded in 2017 as Blackhall Studios, it rebranded to Shadowbox in 2022 following a $500 million strategic investment from Silver Lake, which supported the development of a premium soundstage platform exceeding 1.5 billion dollars in value and expanded its Atlanta campus to approximately 850,000 square feet across nine stages.[3][4] The studio has hosted major productions including Jumanji: The Next Level and contributes to Georgia's film industry growth, leveraging the state's tax incentives and infrastructure.[5][6] As a privately held entity backed by private equity, Shadowbox operates as a global platform, managing operations for partner facilities and emphasizing cutting-edge infrastructure to attract high-profile projects amid competition from established hubs like Los Angeles and Pinewood Studios.[7][8] In 2025, it formed the Shadowbox Collective partnership with Jordan's Olivewood Studios to enhance Middle Eastern production capabilities, providing operational guidance for the 18-stage facility and tapping into regional incentives.[8] This expansion reflects Shadowbox's strategy to scale beyond domestic markets while maintaining its core as one of Atlanta's largest independent studio operators, with facilities supporting diverse formats from blockbusters to television series.[9][10]History
Founding and early operations
Shadowbox Studios, originally established as Blackhall Studios, was founded in 2017 by Ryan Millsap and James Schulz in southeast Atlanta, Georgia. The 53-acre facility at 1415 Constitution Road opened on January 2, 2017, equipped with nine soundstages encompassing more than 400,000 square feet of production space designed for film and television shoots.[11] This development leveraged Georgia's film tax credits and the state's emergence as a major production hub, with the studios positioned to accommodate large-scale sets and crews.[12] Early operations focused on providing turnkey production infrastructure, including soundstages ranging from 20,000 square feet upward, to attract independent and studio-backed projects amid Atlanta's booming industry. The inaugural production hosted at Blackhall was the horror thriller Schoolhouse, which depicted four teenage graffiti artists evading police in an abandoned building haunted by supernatural forces, marking the facility's debut in active use.[13] Within its first year of operation, the studios secured multiple high-profile tenants, demonstrating rapid viability and contributing to the local economy through job creation in construction, set building, and support services.[14] By late 2017, Blackhall had positioned itself as a competitor to established Atlanta facilities like Pinewood (now Trilith), emphasizing purpose-built stages for blockbuster-scale productions while navigating initial challenges such as infrastructure scaling and talent recruitment in a competitive market.[15]Ownership changes and rebranding
Blackhall Studios, established in 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, experienced its first major ownership transition in April 2021 when it was acquired by Commonwealth Asset Management, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, in a deal valued at approximately $120 million.[16][17] This acquisition encompassed the studio's facilities in Atlanta as well as international assets, including development sites in the United Kingdom and on the U.S. West Coast, positioning Commonwealth as the controlling entity amid growing demand for production infrastructure.[17] In June 2022, the studio secured a $500 million strategic investment from Silver Lake, a private equity firm focused on technology and media investments, to fund expansive soundstage development exceeding $1.5 billion in total platform value.[4][3] This infusion of capital supported the addition of 22 new soundstages in Atlanta, bringing the total to 31 across 2 million square feet, while Commonwealth maintained majority ownership.[18][19] Concurrently with the Silver Lake investment, the company unveiled a corporate rebranding from Blackhall Studios to Shadowbox Studios on June 14, 2022, reflecting its ambitions for global scalability and premium production capabilities.[3][5] The name change emphasized enhanced operational infrastructure and strategic positioning in the competitive film and television production market, without altering the underlying ownership structure beyond the minority stake implied by Silver Lake's involvement.[20] No further ownership shifts have been publicly reported as of 2025.[9]Expansion and international initiatives
In 2022, Shadowbox Studios received a $500 million strategic investment from Silver Lake to support a premium soundstage platform exceeding $1.5 billion in value, enabling the development of additional facilities and a portfolio of 68 soundstages across over 4.2 million square feet of leasable area upon completion.[4][21] This funding facilitated operational scaling in Atlanta, where the studio expanded to 850,000 square feet including nine soundproofed stages ranging from 19,200 to 38,400 square feet.[10] Shadowbox has extended its footprint internationally through ownership and partnerships. In the United Kingdom, the company owns Shinfield Studios near Reading, a complex with 18 sound stages, 38 workshops, and a 9-acre backlot that became fully operational in spring 2024; in June 2025, Shadowbox secured £250 million in refinancing from Apollo-managed funds to support its ongoing development.[22][23][24] In Australia, Shadowbox was selected in July 2024 as the preferred proponent by the City of Gold Coast to develop and operate the Yatala Screen Industry Precinct, a 22-hectare site rezoned for production use in September 2025; the two-phase plan includes an initial build of up to six sound stages, workshops, offices, a backlot, and training facilities, culminating in over 500,000 square feet of production space designed to be Australia's highest-quality studio complex.[25][26][27] In the Middle East, Shadowbox announced a partnership in May 2025 with Jordan's Olivewood Studios in Amman, under which it will manage operations as part of the "Shadowbox Collective" to enhance the facility's capabilities and attract international productions to the region's first specialized filmmaking complex.[8][28] To oversee these initiatives, Shadowbox appointed a strategic leadership team in 2025, including executives focused on global sales, studio strategy, and expansion to bolster international offerings.[29]Facilities and capabilities
Soundstages and backlot
Shadowbox Studios operates nine soundstages at its Atlanta facility, with individual sizes ranging from 19,200 square feet for Stages 1 through 7, 28,800 square feet for Stage 8, and 38,400 square feet for Stage 9.[30] Each soundstage features a 40-foot working height, two elephant doors measuring 14 feet by 18 feet, whisper-quiet HVAC systems, dedicated power distribution, lighting grids, fire suppression systems, exhaust fans, and remote-controlled bell and light systems for production coordination.[31] These stages are fully soundproofed and air-conditioned, supported by ample on-site parking for base camps, trucks, and catering operations.[30] The backlot spans 3 acres and includes a two-sided, 40-foot-tall bluescreen for visual effects integration, enabling flexible outdoor filming and chroma key work.[32] It also houses a full-scale, functional replica of the White House Oval Office, complete with interior and exterior elements designed for easy set installation and repeated use in productions.[30] Adjacent support spaces exceed 500,000 square feet, encompassing mill areas, set decoration workshops, vehicle storage for picture cars, fold-and-hold storage, catering facilities, and background holding zones, all purpose-built and power-ready to facilitate seamless transitions between soundstage and backlot activities.[31]Production support services
Shadowbox Studios offers over 500,000 square feet of support space across its Atlanta campuses, designed for specialized production needs including mill spaces for set construction, set decoration workshops, picture vehicle storage, and fold-and-hold areas for props and equipment.[33] These areas facilitate on-site operations such as set building, storage solutions, catering facilities, and background actor holding, integrating seamlessly with the studio's soundstages and backlot to streamline workflows.[30] In March 2025, Shadowbox expanded its offerings with a new suite of production services, encompassing volume planning to optimize shooting schedules and resource allocation, as well as full-service studio management for end-to-end operational oversight.[34] This initiative, aimed at enhancing production efficiency, is overseen by Chief Operating Officer Mike Mosallam, an entertainment industry veteran appointed to drive these capabilities.[34] The services position Shadowbox as a comprehensive platform beyond mere facility rental, supporting global film and television projects with tailored logistical and administrative assistance.[29] Complementing these, the studio's Backlot Academy provides in-house workforce development through industry-led certifications and "last-mile" training programs, addressing skill gaps in areas like technical operations and production support roles.[35] Internationally, Shadowbox extends support services via partnerships, such as its May 2025 collaboration with Jordan's Olivewood Studios for studio management and operational enhancements to bolster regional film infrastructure.[8] These efforts underscore a focus on scalable, on-site solutions that reduce external dependencies and accelerate production timelines.[1]Notable productions
Feature films
Shadowbox Studios has served as a primary production facility for numerous high-profile feature films, leveraging its soundstages and backlot in Atlanta, Georgia, to support visual effects-heavy and large-scale shoots.[7][36] Among the earliest notable productions was Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), directed by Michael Dougherty, which utilized the studio's expansive stages for key monster battle sequences and set builds.[7][4] Subsequent films included Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), a sequel directed by Jake Kasdan featuring extensive practical sets and green-screen work across multiple stages.[7][4] The studio also hosted Jungle Cruise (2021), directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, where its backlot facilitated outdoor adventure scenes mimicking Amazonian environments.[4][37] More recent projects encompass Black Adam (2022), a DC Comics adaptation starring Dwayne Johnson that employed the facility for superhero action sequences; Dear Evan Hansen (2021), a musical drama directed by Stephen Chbosky using stages for interior school and home sets; They Cloned Tyrone (2023), a Netflix sci-fi thriller directed by Juel Taylor filmed amid the studio's production support infrastructure; The Color Purple (2023), a musical remake directed by Blitz Bazawule that built period-specific environments on-site; and Father of the Bride (2022), a remake directed by Gary Alazraki leveraging the backlot for wedding exteriors.[36]| Film Title | Release Year | Director | Key Studio Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | 2019 | Michael Dougherty | Monster sequences and set builds |
| Jumanji: The Next Level | 2019 | Jake Kasdan | Practical sets and green-screen work |
| Jungle Cruise | 2021 | Jaume Collet-Serra | Backlot for adventure exteriors |
| Black Adam | 2022 | Jaume Collet-Serra | Superhero action sequences |
| Dear Evan Hansen | 2021 | Stephen Chbosky | Interior school and home sets |
| They Cloned Tyrone | 2023 | Juel Taylor | Sci-fi production support |
| The Color Purple | 2023 | Blitz Bazawule | Period-specific environments |
| Father of the Bride | 2022 | Gary Alazraki | Wedding exteriors on backlot |