Czech Republic's Sebre to transform Avala Studios into Hollywood complex

Czech Republic design and architecture company Sebre plans to transform Avala Film Studios in Belgrade, Serbia into one of Europe's major screen production hubs. 

The new complex will cover eight hectares of land, including 11,800 square meters of studios; 7,900 sqm of film production area; 3,850 sqm of workshops; 16,000 sqm of administrative spaces; and 2,200 sqm of concert and exhibition hall areas.

'The goal of Avala Studios Beograd is to create new modern Hollywood style film studios and to offer both Serbian and international film industries the opportunity of creating complex and demanding projects in the Balkans,' said Sebre in a statement.

Avala Studios' current site offers four sound stages, a backlot, head office, vehicle storage unit and apartments. Studios 1, 5 and 7 are used for TV shows, while studio 4 is available for smaller projects and commercials.

Sebre's plan is to reconstruct some of the existing studios, modernise obsolete or decommissioned buildings and take inspiration from other leading European film studios, such as the Barrandov film studio in Prague.

A date for reconstruction of the site is to be announced. 

Avala Film was founded in 1946 (renamed Avala Studios by Sebre) and has produced 220 feature films to date, including Genghis Khan (1965) and Brad Pitt's The Dark Side of the Sun (1988).