Pinewood Studios sets off sales chatter with business review

Pinewood Studios, home to Star Wars and James Bond, has put itself on the auction block with a possible price tag of £250 million.

The group, which includes joint ventures in locations such as Atlanta and Toronto as well as its north London base, has appointed investment bank Rothschild to examine the AIM-listed firm’s capital base and structure.

Chief executive Ivan Dunleavy said: “The Pinewood business has grown strongly over the past year. We want to raise additional capital to fulfil our expansion plans but we also want to broaden our share register and step up to the main list of the Stock Exchange.”

On the back of a bumper year for the British film industry, Pinewood has seen revenues climb and said today that it expected its full-year results to be better than it had forecast at the December interims. But shares have underperformed and 40% shareholder, billionaire John Whittaker, will have final say in the process.