Ascent Studios Breaks Ground in North Carolina
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Filmmakers Robert Rippberger and Devin Keaton have teamed with industrial contractor Nathan Edwards to break ground for Ascent Studios in North Carolina. The facility will be located on 200 acres in Spring Hope, a short drive from Raleigh, and will include five production stages totaling 170,000 square feet, making it the largest film studio in the state upon completion in late 2023.
Productions that utilize Ascent Studios will receive a 25% tax rebate on qualifying expenses and purchases funded by the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant.
In addition to offering interior space and new technology for every kind of production, Ascent will sit on a landscape that provides picturesque exteriors of fields, forests and lakes.
Rippberger calls Ascent Studios “a creative hub, a place where artists can come together and collaborate on new and exciting projects. We can’t wait to see what amazing work will come out of here.”
“We believe that Ascent Studios will become a major player in the film industry, not just in North Carolina, but throughout the country,” says Keaton. “With our location, facilities, and top-notch team, we are poised to take the industry by storm.”
Ascent Studios has already lined up production on two films: sci-fi thriller “RENNER,” directed by Rippberger, is set to begin filming this spring. A second thriller in the genre space will be announced soon.
“I’m thrilled to be a partner in Ascent Studios here in Spring Hope,” says Edwards. “Our goal is to build a space where filmmakers can come and bring their vision to life. With our state-of-the-art facility and our beautiful location, we believe that Ascent Studios is the perfect place to do just that.”
Rippberger recently directed the horror/thriller “Those Who Walk Away” and the drama “Strive,” starring Danny Glover. He is also lead producer on the upcoming stop-motion animated film “The Inventor” from “Ratatouille” writer Jim Capobianco, starring Daisy Ridley, Stephen Fry, Marion Cotillard and Matt Berry.
The Studio will follow green practices for sustainability. Most recently Rippberger, along with Foliascope Studios and Capobianco, created a sustainable studio in France that is now the largest stop-motion facility in Europe.
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