Titanic-loving mothers the world over tsked last month when it came out that director James Cameron would be shooting Avatars 2 and 3 in Manhattan Beach instead of building new facilities in Agoura Hills, which he'd gotten preliminary approval to do, and which would have kept him closer to his mother and to his own house in Malibu. His company Lightstorm Entertainment has just signed a five-year lease for 115,000 square feet at the Carlyle Group-owned MBS Media Campus and the LA Times helps explain why: "Carlyle and Lightstorm will invest more than $5 million in improvements, including adding two gyms, one for employees and a private one for Cameron; a commissary adjacent to the sound stages; and a private screening room for Cameron. Solar panels will be installed to provide all the electricity needed for the “Avatar” films, which are expected to begin production next summer." Lightstorm also likes that it can consolidate its production and office space (although it'll keep its corporate office in Santa Monica). The first Avatar was shot in Playa Vista in a studio "half the size" of the new MBS digs, where new neighbors include Marvel Studios and CSI: Miami. Lightstorm starts moving in in November. [MBS Media Campus via official site]
· On Location: James Cameron to produce next two "Avatar" films at Manhattan Beach studio [LAT]
· James Cameron's "Avatar" Bails on Agoura Hills, Heads to Manhattan Beach [Curbed LA]
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