Star Wars special effects firm Industrial Light & Magic expands with move to Holborn

The Force is coming to Holborn: Industrial Light & Magic — the pioneering special-effects firm created by Star Wars director George Lucas to make Star Wars — is on the move.

ILM, which is now owned by Disney, is taking 50,000 square foot of space in fund giant Blackstone’s Lacon London development in Theobald’s Road, moving from its Shaftesbury Avenue home this autumn to double the size of its London base.

The company is working on a string of blockbusters including Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War and the latest Transformers film.

Blackstone’s revamp of the former Nabarro headquarters triggered a raft of leasings, including energy and commodities information firm Argus Media, billboards advertising firm Exterion Media, trademark lawyer Kilburn & Strode and travel firm Arriva.

ILM traces its history back to 1975, when Lucas set up the business to create the ground-breaking space battle scenes in Star Wars after learning that 20th Century Fox had closed its effects department.

But alongside movie studios the company also has a roster of major corporate clients including Apple, Nike, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Budweiser.

It became part of Disney when the entertainment giant bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion (£3.1 billion) in 2012.