Signed. Sealed. Delivered.
Deadline first told you in November that John Mayer and McG were closing in on buying the famed Jim Henson Studio lot and the Charlie Chaplin Studios at 1416 N. La Brea in Los Angeles. Now comes word that the deal is done.
The duo announced today that the historic property will continue “operating as a major working studio in the heart of Los Angeles.”
The seven-time Grammy winner and Charlie’s Angels director also emphasized that the facility, where Mayer records and has offices, is open for business.
“Now renamed Chaplin Studios, the property will continue to operate as a fully staffed, fully functioning production and recording facility — open immediately and actively booking projects across music, film, television, and digital media.”
Despite owning The Muppets IP, Disney didn’t own the Jim Henson lot. The Henson family did. There was buzz that the Church of Scientology was circling to buy the property in early October, but Deadline learned and reported that that wasn’t true.
A spokesperson for the Jim Henson family said then: “In regards to recent rumors about the sale of the La Brea studio lot, the Henson family is not in any business dealings with the Church of Scientology, and that organization is not in consideration as a potential buyer of the property. It is still the family’s intention to move The Jim Henson Company to a new location it can share with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, but at this time the family is not in escrow with any buyer.”
The 80,000-square-foot facility included recording studios and, at the time of the Henson family purchase in 2000, it contained Chaplin’s 10,000-square-foot sound stage and original woodworking shop.
The Jim Henson Company put the lot on the sale block in an effort to put the production company and its Burbank-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in one facility, which the space at La Brea could not accommodate. Chaplin shot cinema classics such as The Kid, The Gold Rush, Modern Times and The Great Dictator at the studio.
“This studio has stood at the center of Hollywood’s history for generations, and it’s a privilege to help shepherd it into its next chapter,” said Mayer. “Beyond its film legacy, the musical history here is extraordinary — from the A&M years and being home to A&M Records to landmark albums recorded on this campus to ‘We Are the World’ being captured inside Studio A. The Chaplin lot has given the world some of its most enduring art, and our goal is to honor that legacy by keeping it working, open, and accessible to the creative community.”
McG added, “You can feel the spirit of Hollywood’s past the moment you set foot on this lot. From Chaplin to Superman, to Soul Train, this place is a cornerstone of our industry’s history. John and I are committed to respecting that heritage while ensuring the studios remain a vibrant, fully operational home for filmmakers, musicians, and creators. We want artists to walk through these gates and immediately feel that spark of possibility.”
In 1952, Chaplin sold the property to real estate development firm Webb and Knapp, who ultimately rented to feature productions like George Reeves’ Adventures of Superman. Red Skelton purchased the lot in 1960, and it was owned by CBS from 1962-1966. By1966, it was in the hands of Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’ A&M Records. Most recently, the lot served as headquarters for The Jim Henson Company.