New Movie Ranch Coming to Simi Valley

Last week, Allied Pacific Studios signed with Simi Valley Waste Management to lease a 1,000-acre portion of the Simi Valley Landfill, located in unincorporated Ventura County, to develop as a movie ranch, according to a Simi Valley Acorn report. Under the agreement, Allied Pacific will lease the land for five years, with the option to purchase the property by term’s end. The parcel represents a third of the site’s 3,000 acres. For now, facilities will be temporary. However, should the studio decide to purchase the land, it will create permanent structures, according to Allied Pacific Managing Director Brian Gordon. The property east of the landfill is desirable because of its backdrops and its proximity to Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, where the six major studios are based. The May 30 deal follows five years of negotiations between Allied Pacific, Waste Management and Simi Valley officials. Allied Pacific Studios, which has filmed movies and television for such clients as Hallmark Channel, has been based in Simi Valley since 2003.