At a time when the race to attract international production has never been more competitive, Les Studios de Paris is thinking beyond soundstages—and positioning itself as a full-service command center for global shoots.

Just outside the French capital, nestled within the striking nave of La Cité du Cinéma, Les Studios de Paris has already hosted everything from Jackie to Emily in Paris to The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. But now, in the wake of a 10-month closure during the 2024 Paris Olympics—when the entire studio was repurposed as an Olympic training facility—executive director Brigitte Segal has returned with a bigger vision.

“We realized productions weren’t just coming for our stages—they were treating us like home base,” Segal told attendees at Variety’s Global Conversations Summit in Cannes. “They need a secure, centralized location where they can store gear, prep trucks, and bounce between Paris locations without friction.”

That realization has sparked a major expansion. Les Studios de Paris is building a new 30,000 square foot base camp, purpose-built to host up to three major productions simultaneously. Think secured parking, round-the-clock access, gear storage, and pre-assembly workshops—all minutes from central Paris and a new hotel constructed during the Olympic buildout.

This isn’t just an operational upgrade—it’s a strategic play to meet a rising demand. According to veteran line producer John Bernard (Inception, The New Look), COVID-era restrictions changed how producers think about international production logistics. When Apple TV+ originally planned to shoot The New Look across Paris and Budapest, quarantine rules and lost prep time convinced the team to keep the entire shoot at Les Studios de Paris. The result? Streamlined production, better budget control, and fewer headaches.

“It turned out to be more efficient and more cost-effective to stay in one place,” Bernard noted. “And Paris had everything we needed—from world-class crew to versatile spaces.”

That’s exactly the point Segal is now leaning into. The goal isn’t just to offer soundstages—it’s to offer a centralized ecosystem where producers can land, launch, and lead their entire production with minimal disruption.

France’s already-generous Tax Rebate for International Productions helps seal the deal. With a baseline 30% rebate—and a 40% return on total spend if VFX costs hit just €2 million—France is quickly becoming one of Europe’s most financially compelling production hubs.

And unlike some rebate systems, France’s incentives heavily favor local hiring. “U.S. crew costs don’t qualify,” Bernard said. “So the more you hire in France, the better your economics.” Which also means France has every reason to keep developing its local workforce, raising the bar on production design, painting, sculpting, and set construction.

“If you’re going to base a whole shoot in one place, the crew has to justify it,” Bernard said. “And in France, they do.”

As Les Studios de Paris continues to evolve from a collection of stages into a production headquarters, its future looks less like a soundstage rental and more like a production campus—optimized for global streamers, studio features, and ambitious cross-border TV.

For international teams looking to shoot in Paris, the message is clear: Les Studios de Paris wants to be your base of operations—and they’re building for it.