Kaufman Astoria Studios

Kaufman Astoria Studios
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Name	Kaufman Astoria Studios
Founded	0 1920
Location	Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, United States
Key people	Hal B. Rosenblatt (President)
Industry	Film and television production
Owner	George S. Kaufman (original), The City of New York (current)

Kaufman Astoria Studios. A historic film and television production complex located in the Astoria, Queens neighborhood of New York City. Founded in the silent film era, it is one of the oldest continuously operating studio facilities in the United States and a cornerstone of the New York film industry. The studio has been the filming site for countless iconic movies, television series, and cultural projects, evolving from a major Paramount Pictures lot to a city-owned hub for creative production.

History

The facility originally opened in 1920 as the Astoria Studio, built by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, which later became Paramount Pictures. During the 1920s and early 1930s, it was a primary production center for Paramount, hosting stars like Rudolph Valentino, the Marx Brothers, and W.C. Fields in early sound films such as The Cocoanuts. With the rise of Hollywood, Paramount shifted its focus west, and the War Department took over the site during World War II, using it to produce training and propaganda films, including the famous Why We Fight series directed by Frank Capra. After decades of decline, the studio was revitalized in the 1970s through the efforts of Mayor Ed Koch and real estate developer George S. Kaufman, leading to its renaming and reopening in 1982.

Facilities and operations

The studio campus spans several city blocks and includes multiple sound stages, support buildings, and dedicated production spaces. Its core facilities include numerous large, column-free soundstages suitable for major feature film and television productions, alongside extensive support spaces for set construction, wardrobe, and prop storage. A key tenant is the Steinway & Sons piano factory building, which houses additional stages and production offices. The complex is also home to the Museum of the Moving Image, a major cultural institution dedicated to the art, history, and technology of film, television, and digital media. The studio offers comprehensive production services, supporting everything from network television series to major studio feature films.

Notable productions

The studio has been the primary filming location for a vast array of influential cinematic and television works. In film, it hosted the production of seminal works like Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club, Mike Nichols's The Birdcage, and multiple installments of the Men in Black franchise starring Will Smith. Television production has been equally significant, with long-running series such as Sesame Street, The Cosby Show, and Orange Is the New Black filming extensively on its stages. Other notable projects include Martin Scorsese's The Departed, Spike Lee's She Hate Me, and the award-winning musical Chicago.

Cultural impact and community

Beyond its direct production output, the studio serves as a vital economic and cultural engine for Queens and New York City at large. It anchors the local creative economy, providing thousands of jobs for crew members, artisans, and support staff within the IATSE and other guilds. The presence of the Museum of the Moving Image and the related archives provides public access to film history and education. The studio's revitalization was a catalyst for the broader regeneration of the surrounding Astoria neighborhood, attracting ancillary businesses and reinforcing New York's status as a global competitor to Los Angeles in film and television production.

Management and ownership

Following its redevelopment, the studio's real estate is owned by The City of New York, specifically under the purview of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. The operational management and leasing of the studio facilities are handled by a private entity, Kaufman Astoria Studios, led by President Hal B. Rosenblatt. This public-private partnership model has been instrumental in maintaining the facility's modern competitiveness while preserving its historic legacy. The management works closely with major clients including The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Warner Bros., and various independent production companies to keep the stages fully utilized.