Netflix will donate funds to a new building at the UK’s National Film and Television School, to be named after the late film producer Albert R. Broccoli.
The NFTS confirmed the expansion plans today while hosting Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and veteran producer Barbara Broccoli at its Beaconsfield campus, where the new building will be erected.
The new building will be named The Cubby Broccoli Building. Cubby was Albert R. Broccoli’s nickname. Construction is now officially underway on The Cubby Broccoli Building, which is due to open to students in January 2027.
The NFTS said Netflix’s investment will be used to build a creative space that will be known as The Netflix Lounge within The Cubby Broccoli Building. The school said the lounge will be designed as a “central meeting point where students can work, collaborate, and connect.”
The Cubby Broccoli Building will house brand new courses in Costume Design, Hair and Make-Up, and Virtual Production, and, for the first time in the NFTS’s history, enable students to live on site. The building will include nine fully accessible, purpose-built bedrooms. All accommodation costs will be fully covered by the Accessible Living Bursary, launched and supported by screenwriter Jack Thorne in June 2025.
As part of today’s announcement on the NFTS campus, Barbara Broccoli also contributed to a time capsule that was placed within the foundations of the new building. She added a letter co-written with producer Michael G.Wilson and addressed to future NFTS Producing students. The capsule will be re-opened in 2071 to celebrate the School’s centenary. Broccoli’s additions also included documents from the NFTS archives, detailing Cubby Broccoli’s gift of its production and facilities department in 1986.
Sarandos delivered a career masterclass to NFTS students this afternoon. Other new NFTS donors announced include All3Media, Garfield Weston Foundation, Prime Video, Rolex, and Wolfson Foundation.
Netflix’s funding for the building comes at an interesting time, given the charm offensive both the streamer and Paramount are undertaking across Europe in their battle to acquire Warner Bros. Last month, David Ellison met with UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy during a trip to London. Nandy will host a private reception at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London to celebrate the UK’s creative industries.
Speaking today on campus, Jon Wardle, NFTS Director, said: “The School’s expansion has been made possible through vital Government investment and the generosity of our supporters -including All3Media, Garfield Weston Foundation, Prime Video, Rolex, and Wolfson Foundation, who we are proud to announce today. Their belief in the NFTS and its students has been instrumental in reaching this milestone. Honouring Cubby Broccoli’s legacy through this new building reflects values that sit at the heart of the NFTS, while this collective investment ensures we are preparing students for a truly global industry. We are immensely grateful to DCMS, Michael G.Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Netflix, and all of our new and existing supporters for helping shape the School’s future.”
