Several iconic homes on the Warner Bros. Pictures Ranch are in the process of being demolished. Warner Bros. acquired the property from Columbia Pictures in 1990. The tree-lined street also boasts a neighboring park, swimming pool, and brownstone facades. These time-capsule homes are being torn down to build 16 new soundstages, offices, and parking.
The area’s distinctive look made it the perfect shooting location in the 60s and 70s for shows like “Bewitched,” “The Partridge Family,” ”Father Knows Best,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” and “Eight is Enough.” This [now] retro look also worked well for more recent shows like “The Middle,” “Young Sheldon,” “Animal Kingdom,” and “WandaVision.”Even modern films like “American Beauty,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Christmas “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and “Pleasantville” have filmed there.
The park also once housed the famous fountain used in the opening and closing credits for the show “Friends.” But the legendary prop was moved to the main Warner Bros. lot in 2022 to be a part of the studio tour.
In 2019 Warner Bros. sold the property to Worthe Real Estate Group and Stockbridge Real Estate Fund. Warner plans to move back in once the $500 million redevelopment is complete in 2025. According to a 2021 interview with Jeff Nagler, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Studio Operations. This renovation is Warner Bros. “continuing to enhance our state-of-the-art studios and full-service offerings for our productions and partners is a key priority for our company, and the new Ranch Lot development will certainly fulfill this goal in the Los Angeles area.”
Jeff Worthe, president of Worthe Real Estate Group, claims that the 926,000-square-foot renovation is “the largest studio development in the country.”
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