April 24, 2014 By Michael Florio
Queens’ movie and TV business continues to be on the upswing.
Kaufman Astoria Studios, located at 34-12 36th Street, announced this week plans to construct an 18,000 square foot sound stage within the next two years.
The new stage will be the eighth studio at Kaufman Astoria, not including the recently opened back lot or the music recording studio that doubles as a stage.
The stage will be called Stage N, and will be located next to Stage K, adjacent to the back lot. The back lot, the city’s first, opened in December.
“With Stage N, Kaufman Astoria Studios will be able to accommodate even more projects and continue to make New York the film and television capital of the world,” said Hal Rosenbluth, President, Kaufman Astoria Studios, in a statement.
The studio produced more than 100 silent films when it was the home of Paramount Studio in the 1920s. Recently films like “Men and Black 3,” “The Bourne Ultimatum,” and hit television show “Nurse Jackie” have been produced there.
Last month, the Kaufman Astoria and its surrounding cultural institutions were designated an official “arts district,” the borough’s first.
Called the Kaufman Arts District, it encompasses the area from Steinway Street to 31st Street, from 34th Avenue to 37th Avenue.