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9th January 2025
03:13pm GMT
Windmill Lane Pictures, the Dublin studio that grew out of the legendary recording space where U2 recorded early tracks, has announced its immediate closure. The company says it’s no longer financially viable.
The Herbert Street-based studio handled visual and audio post-production for films and TV. They confirmed that all 31 staff members were informed of the decision on Wednesday according to reporting by The Irish Times.
The company's recent credits included: The Cousin, Baldur's Gate 3, Kin, and Jurassic World Domination. They also had a hand in The Siege of Jadotville, Dublin Old School, The Young Offenders, GLENHAVEN and many more.
Windmill Lane Pictures has been separate from Windmill Lane Recording Studios for decades. The recording studios moved to Ringsend Road in Dublin 4. While the post-production business relocated to Herbert Street in 2009, leaving its original home near Sir John Rogerson’s Quay.
“The global film and post-production industry has faced significant headwinds in recent years, including increasing cost pressures, rapid technological changes, and the ongoing challenges of operating in a competitive international market,” the company’s directors said in a statement.
They also pointed to the extended writers’ and actors’ strikes in the U.S., which shook up production schedules globally. The knock-on effects, they said, hit businesses like theirs hard.
Domestically, the erosion of Ireland’s Section 481 VFX tax credit has made the country less attractive for studios competing internationally.
“Although we explored every available avenue, including attempts to secure additional capital and restructure the business, these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful in stabilising the company,” the statement continued.
The directors thanked their team, describing their creativity and dedication as the company’s cornerstone. They also expressed gratitude to their clients and collaborators, saying, “We are now committed to managing this transition responsibly and supporting all affected stakeholders.”
Windmill Lane Studios started in 1978, co-founded by James Morris, Russ Russell, Brian Masterson, and Miert Avis. Its original base on Windmill Lane became a hub for artists like U2 and Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. It thrived during the rise of music videos, thanks to MTV’s influence.
In the early ’90s, the business split. The recording side moved to Pearse Street under the Windmill Lane name. Meanwhile, the post-production side focused on TV ads and, later, audio for features, drama, and animation.
By the 2000s, Windmill Lane Pictures had established itself in film and TV. They worked with Irish directors like Jim Sheridan, John Boorman, and Neil Jordan. Its move to Herbert Street allowed it to grow its visual effects work and expand into major TV and film productions.
The closure brings an end to a key part of Dublin’s creative history. It’s a sobering reminder of how even iconic studios struggle under global and local pressures.
