Marlow Film Studios — the long-gestating, £750 million ($986 million) production campus planned for Buckinghamshire — just landed its biggest breakthrough yet. After months of public inquiry, political wrangling, and a heated tug-of-war over the future of protected green-belt land, the U.K. government has officially overturned the local council’s refusal and given the project the greenlight.

The approval, delivered in a sprawling 266-page decision from Secretary of State Steve Reed, marks a dramatic turning point for one of the most closely watched studio developments in the country. Local officials had rejected the plan last year over environmental concerns and infrastructure questions, but Reed ruled that the national benefits — from global investment to job creation — outweighed the potential harm.

For Marlow’s backers, the decision reads like a studio-sized endorsement of Britain’s creative ambition. “The secretary of state’s determination is a real vote of confidence in the U.K. and in its creative industries,” said Marlow Studios CEO Robert Laycock, calling it “a meaningful decision for anyone who believes in the UK’s future, our nation’s creative genius, and our unmatched capability to inspire the world.” He added that the ruling strengthens the West London film cluster, which continues to operate as one of Europe’s busiest production corridors.

Hollywood royalty has been watching closely. James Cameron personally threw his weight behind the project last year, writing to Buckinghamshire Council in support of the development. He suggested that Marlow could become the U.K. and European home for his Lightstorm3D operation, the technology-driven powerhouse behind some of the most advanced filmmaking tools in the industry. Cameron was joined by several other high-profile supporters, including Sam Mendes, Jeremy Irons, Andy Serkis and Paul Greengrass, who all urged officials to approve the studio.

Their advocacy ultimately collided with the realities of British land policy. Reed acknowledged that the development would cause “potential harm” to the green belt — a factor that has derailed countless projects in the region — but concluded that the national economic impact tipped the scales. As Victoria Du Croz, head of planning at Forsters law firm, explained, the wider benefits “gave greater weight to justify this development,” especially given the government’s focus on growth and international competitiveness.

The timing is telling. The stretch around the M25 has quietly become one of the world’s most active studio zones, drawing major productions even as traditional U.S. centers have hit turbulence. Du Croz noted that when devastating fires temporarily halted Los Angeles productions earlier this year, U.K. studios were already operating at full tilt — a reminder of the country’s outsized role in the global production ecosystem.

With planning approval now secured, developers hope the long-delayed project can move into its next phase. Eighteen soundstages and a dedicated skills academy are planned for the expansive site, positioning Marlow as yet another powerhouse in a region rapidly filling with state-of-the-art facilities.

If all goes according to plan, Buckinghamshire — once the center of a debate over who gets to build on green-belt land — may soon be home to one of the most significant new production hubs in Europe.