US film studio company Raleigh Studios will manage China’s Wuxi Studio, a 6-square-km facility near Shanghai, to provide film production, post-production and tourism services.

Raleigh and China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) and Jiangsu Provincial Government last week signed an agreement in Wuxi to manage the studio.

In addition to Raleigh, several international production companies such E3D and The Foundry from the UK have also signed to set up their bases at the studio.

The Wuxi Studio will be China’s first production facility specializing in digital and 3D film production. According to SARFT, its total investment amount is $1.57 billion (RMB10 bn). So far, Phase One of the studio has completed construction last week, which include six soundstages, production offices and visual effects and post facilities.

Former Academy Awards president Sid Ganis served as honorary chair of Wuxi Studio since 2011 and helped introduced international companies and Raleigh Studios to join the Wuxi Studio project.

According to SARFT, several international production companies also signed cooperation agreements last week. E3D and The Foundry from the UK, Base FX from the US and Mokko Studio from Canada are to set up post-production and visual effects companies in the Wuxi Studio facility. Film studios such as Legendary Entertainment and Bona Film Group will also shoot their upcoming projects in Wuxi.

Phase two of Wuxi Studio will include five soundstages, including one with a water tank and a large, 6000 square meter soundstage, a 10-screen digital cinema and a 3D production centre. Construction is scheduled to complete in summer 2013.

Inside the facility, there will also be a production service centre which provides information and services on film finance, co-production and registration and approval procedures for international companies and projects.