1888 Studios: New Jersey's Largest Film Hub Gets Production Boost, Tax Credits

Historic designation paves the way for increased production and tax credits at New Jersey’s largest film studio.

1888 Studios’ 1.5-million-square-foot development will feature 23 smart sound stages and production support space.

BAYONNE, N.J. - In a significant development for New Jersey's film and television industry, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board has officially designated 1888 Studios in Bayonne as a Film-Lease Partner Facility. This designation, integral to NJEDA's strategy to support local media production, enables future tenants of 1888 Studios to avail themselves of enhanced tax credits under the state's Film and Digital Media Tax Credit program.

Located near New York City, 1888 Studios occupies 58 acres and includes an additional 20 acres in Newark Bay. The facility, which is expected to open in 2026, will be the largest campus-style film and television studio in the Northeast and one of the largest in the nation.

“We are immensely proud to welcome 1888 Studios to our community and eagerly anticipate the diverse opportunities it will bring to Bayonne’s workforce. We are turning a new page in Bayonne’s history, one that promises to be as dynamic and inspiring as the films that will soon be produced right here in our city,” said Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.

The development will feature 23 high-tech smart sound stages, with sizes ranging from 18,000 to 60,000 square feet and ceiling heights between 40 to 50 feet. Additionally, the complex will include over 350,000 square feet of production support space, a waterfront park, a publicly accessible promenade, and extensive amenities such as office spaces and a parking garage.

The NJEDA's Film-Lease Partner Facility designation requires a minimum five-year commitment from developers and operators, aiming to promote stability and growth in the local film industry. It also allows tenants to receive increased tax credits for projects that film at least 50% of their total and New Jersey-specific days within the facility.

“The increase in film studio development in New Jersey is a testament to the state’s best-in-the-region incentives and wealth of local talent, helping transition the Garden State into the northeastern capital of film and entertainment,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The designation of 1888 Studios as a Film-Lease Partner Facility will open the door for more production companies to film in New Jersey, helping to support local small businesses and communities and create thousands of good-paying jobs."

Since Governor Murphy reinstated the Film and Digital Media Tax Credit program in 2018, New Jersey has seen an increase in film and digital media projects. The program, which extends through 2039, offers a tax credit of up to 40% on labor expenditures and up to 35% on qualified film production expenses. An additional Diversity Tax Credit provides up to four percent for productions that employ women or people of color.

“1888 Studios takes its name from the year Thomas Edison invented the motion picture camera in New Jersey, and the state continues to honor that legacy with studio partnerships that strengthen its standing as a hub of media production,” said New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission Executive Director Jon Crowley.

The expansion of this program in 2021 increased the annual allocation to $400 million and granted NJEDA the authority to designate eligible film studio developments as Film-Lease Partner Facilities. For more information on NJEDA's production support initiatives, interested parties can visit their official website at www.njeda.gov/film/.