Whoopi Goldberg-Led 'Hollywood Studio' May Be Coming To NJ's Largest City

NEWARK, NJ — Newark is trying to bring a “Whoopi Goldberg-led Hollywood studio” to the city, officials announced Friday.

According to Mayor Ras Baraka, Newark officials are in active discussions with The MBS Group and its partner Whoopi Inc., which is led by the famed entertainer. The goal? To “establish a major studio presence” in New Jersey’s largest city.

Negotiations are expected to yield a formal announcement in the coming months, the mayor’s office said.

Baraka said the discussion is part of the effort to “bring Newark full circle” to its early days as the world’s film capital.

“We’ve always known Newark provides every element needed in large scale production, and this is our chance to showcase the full spectrum of locations and talent to seal Newark as the premier entertainment industry capital,” Baraka said.

“We see Newark as a natural home for this type of infrastructure,” said J. Wayman Henry, a partner with Goldberg on the project and the former chair of economic development in West Orange.

Henry cited the city’s “commitment to inclusive economic development” as a reason for their “tremendous confidence” moving forward.

“In Newark, we’re eager to collaborate with local leaders, unions, educational institutions, and nonprofits to build a diverse and skilled local crew base,” said Jason Hairston, chief studio and real estate officer for MBS.

Newark Office of Film and TV director Desireé Hadley said the proposal is an “exciting and promising opportunity.”

“Whoopi Goldberg and MBS Studios couldn't have picked a better place to develop film/TV studios, joined with affordable housing,” Hadley said. “I am excited for how this development will encourage our young people to pursue careers in the industry.”

According to a city spokesperson, the discussion with The MBS Group and Whoopi Inc. is not connected to the Lionsgate project, a plan to create a huge TV and movie studio in Newark that was announced in 2022.

• See Related: Huge Movie Studio Coming To Newark; 600 Jobs Expected, Gov. Says

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