New York City’s new Sunset Pier 94 Studios has its first major tenant, and Dexter: Resurrection is moving to Manhattan full-time.
Paramount Television Studios has signed the first lease at the new Sunset Pier 94 Studios, occupying 70,000 of its impressive 232,000 square feet. Sunset Pier 94 Studios opens later this month.
First to film will be the second season of the Dexter sequel series, which hails from Showtime and streams on Paramount+. Dexter: Resurrection, which shot season one across Westchester County, Long Island and all five boroughs of the city, will occupy two (of six) sound stages with 36-foot heigh ceilings, as well as production support and offices spaces.
“We are thrilled to bring the second season of Dexter: Resurrection to Sunset Pier 94 Studios and its state-of-the-art facilities and sound stages. Last season saw Dexter move to New York City — and now we look forward to following suit, gaining greater access to the region’s incredible creative talent, leveraging a competitive tax credit program and reinforcing our commitment to US production,” Drew Brown, executive vice president of production for Paramount Television Studios, said in a statement.
By sticking around for season two, Paramount Television Studios is getting an extra 10 percent tax credit from New York (state) — that’s on top of the 30 percent it was getting for shooting Dexter: Resurrection there in the first place.
“Congratulations to Sunset Pier 94 Studios on booking the second season of Paramount Television Studios’ Dexter: Resurrection,” Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner Hope Knight said. “We’re proud that season one was filmed right here in New York, generating significant economic impact in our neighborhoods through jobs and small business spending. Governor Hochul’s expansion of the film production tax credit and initiatives like Production+ are incentivizing companies like Paramount Television Studios — which has filmed in New York for decades — to continue investing in our state. We look forward to welcoming more projects to Sunset Pier 94’s stages as this world-class facility opens its doors.”
Not far from Sunset Pier 94 Studios, Paramount will be the anchor tenant of Bayonne, New Jersey’s 1888 Studios, which broke ground last month; THR was on site.
Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. and Blackstone Real Estate are the joint venture partners behind Sunset Pier 94 Studios. The group also envisioned a 91-acre production hub in London, but those plans have been put on hold.
“Sunset Studios’ success in attracting and retaining top-tier productions across multiple seasons speaks to the caliber of our studios and services, and we look forward to the opportunity to expand our relationship with Paramount on the lot,” Victor Coleman, chairman and CEO of Hudson Pacific, said. “Robust pre-leasing interest in Sunset Pier 94 Studios underscores the project’s unmatched quality and prime location — there is truly nothing else like it in the market, and we look forward to announcing additional leases soon.”
Sunset Pier 94 Studios has on-site parking, a mill, and “ample opportunities” for exterior signage. The views of the Hudson River are pretty killer too. Sunset Pier 94 Studios is expected to create 400 permanent jobs and contribute $6.4 billion to the local economy over the next 30 years, according to the developers.
