A film studio in Atlanta is building a new town for its workers inspired by The Truman Show.
British company Pinewood opened a production facility in Atlanta in 2014, originally planned as a one-stop shop for filming in the US as opposed to the broken-up system in Hollywood.
It boasted offices, a media center, soundstages, prop houses and set builders all on one site to create big budget blockbusters.
The new town of Trilith, built for workers at Pinewood Atlanta studios, boasts a stunning resort-style pool
There are plans for an eventual population of 5,000 and 500 people are already living in the new town
Ant Man, Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and Captain America: Civil War were made at the high-tech facilities thanks to a collaboration with Marvel, and Pinewood Atlanta quickly established itself as a key site in the US film industry.
The studio was financed by a joint venture between Pinewood and River’s Rock, an independently managed trust of the Cathy family, Atlanta’s billionaire founders of Chick-fil-A.
In August last year, the local investors started the process of buying out its UK partner in the hope of turning the site into much more than just production studios.
Trilith recently opened its first restaurant, the locally-owned Barleygarden Kitchen & Craft Bar, with plans for many more bars and restaurants
The town is home to the huge Piedmont Wellness Center, with the focus on young creatives in the media
They wanted to develop new shows and big budget films at the studios with local workers living there in a new town, inspired by Seaside in Florida, a New Urbanist planned community which became the filming site for The Truman Show.
Now, Pinewood UK has officially left the project which was renamed last week as the town Trilith, which has 235 acres within the 900-acre studio complex.
The name, an architectural term referring to structures like Stonehenge with two stones supporting a third laid across the top, is a nod to its UK heritage, bosses say.
There are plans for an eventual population of 5,000 and 500 people are already living there, with 1,400 town houses, apartments and housing units, and microhomes being built.
Trilith’s residents have access to 15 miles of nature trails, 54 acres of forest and 19 landscaped parks, including a dog park (pictured)
The name, an architectural term referring to structures like Stonehenge with two stones supporting a third laid across the top, is a nod to its UK heritage, bosses say
As many as 1,400 town houses, apartments and housing units, and microhomes are being built
Residents will be able to enjoy all the local amenities, with restaurants already open, a 60,000-square-foot fitness studio and a school from Kindergarten to 12th grade.
There will even be a dedicated University of Georgia MFA program in Screenwriting to encourage budding film writers to join the local industry.
By next year, developers want two hotels, a cinema, and an 18,000 square foot sound stage to host events in the town, and a retail center is also underway.
Rob Parker, president of Trilith, told Fast Company: ‘Originally the idea of it was to do a mill town, a company town, which just meant get some housing here because people have got to live somewhere, and we want to make it convenient.
Residents will be able to enjoy all the local amenities, with restaurants already open, wine shops (pictured) a 60,000-square-foot fitness studio and a school from Kindergarten to 12th grade
More than half of the new town is dedicated to green space and forest, making it the largest geothermal community in the country
By next year, developers want two hotels, a cinema, and an 18,000 square foot sound stage to host events in the town, and a retail center is also underway
‘And it grew into, if you’re going to build a town from scratch, what would you do?’
More than half of the new town is dedicated to green space and forest, making it the largest geothermal community in the country.
Trilith’s residents have access to 15 miles of nature trails, 54 acres of forest and 19 landscaped parks, including a dog park.
Bosses hope the entire project will create more than 7,000 jobs.
Ant Man, Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and Captain America: Civil War were made at the high-tech facilities
Bosses say the town is modeled on European cities and residents can ‘live, work and play’ within a seven to ten minute walk
There will even be a dedicated University of Georgia MFA program in Screenwriting to encourage budding film writers to join the local industry
The idea is that people can work on productions for months or years at a time without having to live out of a suitcase and having everything they need on hand.
Parker said the town is modeled on European cities and residents can ‘live, work and play’ within a seven to ten minute walk.
The design is intended to appeal to young creatives with a focus on wellness and outdoor access.