It’s a fade to black for historic Marin County movie studios known for ‘Star Wars’
The North Bay film industry may face the end of an era at the end of the month for a Marin County landmark, as 32Ten Studios gets ready to shut down.
The San Rafael movie studios located at 3210 Kerner Blvd. was once the home of Industrial Light & Magic, a Lucasfilm property known for producing blockbusters like “Star Wars.” In 2012, Disney bought the operation that has collected 16 Academy Awards along the way.
Industrial Light & Magic moved south to San Francisco in 2011, when 32Ten Studios, run by business owners Tim Partridge and Greg Beaumont, took over at least a third of the 45,000-square-foot facility. The studios will only occupy the site, along with other tenants, until Oct. 31.
It’s unclear at this point what the property owners have in store for the location. Greenbrae Management President Andrea Schultz, who manages the real estate lease, did not return phone calls. The property is owned by the Basacre limited partnership and was assessed in 1994 as the Bon Aire Shopping Center, the Marin County Assessor’s Office reported. Kerner Optical owned it in 2006, then went bankrupt before the site became movie studios.
Partridge, as CEO, has decided to close up shop amid a production slowdown that started around the pandemic and hasn’t fully recovered yet.
“Since the lockdown, business has been poor, and the landlord has been generous in allowing us to stay here hoping the business will return. And the strike didn’t help,” Partridge told the Business Journal, referring to the WGA writers’ and SAG actors’ strikes. The former has been resolved, and the latter is still being negotiated.
Sean House, the fabrication supervisor for 32Ten Studios, wanted to take over the lease from Partridge, and made his intentions known to Schultz and Partridge with a proposal. But he said Schultz confirmed in August the location was being “repurposed.” Partridge said the proposal funding “was not there.”
“I’m devastated. This is my whole life,” said House, who has created sets, props and models for films such as “Matrix” and the “Fast and Furious.” He has worked in the business for more than 25 years.
Not only is House losing his livelihood, he lamented that he’s needing to find a new place for most of his fabrication shop and feels like the “rug is being pulled out” from under him. He plans to sell off his tools.
To Sonoma production designer and art director Doug Freeman, the loss is a historic one for the film industry in the North Bay.
House and Freeman share the sentiment with the Marin County business community.
“The sentiment around the San Rafael community is that we are sad to see 32Ten Studios closing. They were able to preserve the property as the former Lucas Studios, and now that movie is ending,” San Rafael Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Joanne Webster said. “I am hoping someone who loves film will appreciate the value and history making of the space.”
Susan Wood covers law, cannabis, production, tech, energy, transportation, agriculture as well as banking and finance. She can be reached at 530-545-8662 or susan.wood@busjrnl.com
