A plan to build the largest film studio complex in Spain in Mallorca has been dropped. The project, known as Green Film Studios, was intended to give the island’s audiovisual industry a major boost, but missed a key funding deadline amid doubts about its viability.
The project
The plan was launched under the previous PSOE-led Consell de Mallorca. It was to be built on land in Marratxí transferred by the town council to the Consell, and its supporters said it would:
- attract Spanish and international film and television productions;
- create a hub for post-production, visual effects and animation;
- help diversify Mallorca’s economy beyond tourism.
Why it collapsed
The money. The studios were due to receive €4.5 million from a tourism sustainability plan financed by the EU’s Next Generation recovery funds. The money had to be committed by a set deadline; when that date passed without the funds being allocated, the backing was lost.
Viability. After the 2023 elections, the new Partido Popular administration shifted the focus to post-production only, citing significant doubts about the economic, technical and operational viability of the full studio complex. It also argued there was not enough time to complete the planning, tendering and construction.
The political row
The PSOE accuses the PP of using those doubts as an excuse. It argues that if the new administration did not want the studios, it should have said so clearly and redirected the money to another audiovisual project, rather than letting the deadline pass.
The Consell says the funds have been assigned to other projects, without giving details.
What happens now
The Consell now plans to relaunch the Mallorca Film Commission, which has been largely inactive for more than a year, to:
- attract productions to locations on the island;
- provide support services to visiting crews;
- promote Mallorca as a filming destination.
Mallorca has a long history as a location for film, television and advertising, from The Night Manager to numerous commercials shot on its coast. But the loss of the studio project means the island will continue to rely on location shooting rather than developing a permanent production base.
