COVINGTON, Ga. — Cinelease will expand Three Ring Studio in Covington by adding new performance and office space by next year, Gov. Brian Kemp announced today.
The expansion at Three Ring will include eight new stages, enhancing the campus to a total of 14 purpose-built sound stages and providing a total of 276,000 square feet of stage space, 100,000 square feet of office space, and an additional 72,800 square feet of flexible space, upon its completion in 2023.
Kemp said, “Georgia is proud to be home to a wide range of job creators, including those in the entertainment industry."
“With this substantial investment and expansion of their infrastructure, Cinelease is making it known that they are a major player in film and TV production," Kemp said. "I look forward to the new opportunities this expansion will bring to hardworking Georgians.”
Three Ring will be one of the largest film studios in the country when complete and the only public-private partnership that has developed infrastructure for the film and TV industry in Georgia, according to information from the governor's office.
The 90-acre, $144 million facility in north Covington is owned and developed by a joint venture between Rahim Charania with Atlanta-based real estate firm Woodvale and Cary Goldman with Chicago-based real estate firm Timberhill Group.
With Cinelease Studios leading the management of the media campus and the supply of media equipment, Cinelease Studios-Three Ring will be Georgia’s first vertically integrated production campus.
“Cinelease has been a pioneer in Georgia’s entertainment industry. Our senior leadership had the foresight to see the potential in the state, and we are proud to have acted as a magnet for the regional expansion of our industry,” said Gannon Murphy, general manager of Cinelease Studios.
“We can confidently say that investing in an expansion of this magnitude reinforces Cinelease’s commitment to making an impactful contribution to the workforce, tax base, and client experience in Georgia.”
Cinelease currently serves the Peach State's film industry via three locations in Clayton, Gwinnett, and Newton Counties.
The company opened its Atlanta doors in 2007 with 8,000 square feet of warehouse space in East Point. It now employs nearly 60 Georgians.
Located at 11642 Georgia Hwy. 142, Cinelease Studios Three Ring is a media campus built for television, film, and custom content creation.
Phase I of the studio was built in 2017 and currently offers 110,000 square feet of sound stage space, 60,000 square feet of support space, 30,000 square feet of office, and 600 parking spaces on 50 acres.
The studio was originally known as Three Ring Studios but changed names after Los Angeles-based Cinelease announced a partnership with the facility in July 2020.
The Georgia Film Office, which is part of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, has worked closely with Cinelease on their Georgia projects. The company is also a member of the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition, as well as the Georgia Studio and Infrastructure Alliance.
“We are excited that Cinelease has had such success here in Georgia,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
“This announcement is a testament to the resiliency of Georgia’s film industry over the last two years. A big thank you to Cinelease for housing productions and providing film industry services to the many film and television shows that have filmed here and are currently shooting in Georgia.”
Georgia Film Office Director Lee Thomas said, “Cinelease’s expansion is a testament to the success of Georgia’s film tax credit. While it is only film and television projects that are qualified to earn the tax incentive, thousands of taxpaying support service companies — like Cinelease — are able to grow as well, in response to the level of business.
"Thank you to Cinelease for their continued commitment to the State of Georgia, and thank you to the state legislature for their continued support of this transformative legislation.”
To celebrate its expansion, Cinelease Studios – Three Ring will hold a ceremonial golden shovel event in the coming weeks.
