Sunset Studios Opens On Hudson
January 20, 2026
By LOIS WEISS
The serial killer “Dexter” has been resurrected and is back in action thanks to Sunset Studios at Pier 94, a joint venture between Hudson Pacific Properties, Blackstone and Vornado that is located on the Hudson River right off the West Side Highway around West 55th Street.
“I don’t know if you watched Dexter,” said Manhattan Borough President Brad Holyman-Sigal at the ribbon cutting on Then he bizarrely continued, “It’s about a homicidal maniac, so imagine there’s some 30-foot-high ceilings and walls splattered with blood. It’s going to be beautiful.”
Okay then.
The new purpose-built studio complex where “Dexter:Resurrection” signed up to film its second season encompasses 265,000 square feet. Of that, 85,000 square feet are dedicated to stages with 145,000 square feet set aside for production offices.
The six new stages sprawl across the large complex. They are column-free and have high ceilings of 36.5 feet as well as flexible layouts while two of the studios also have catwalks for additional lighting.
“You can probably hang a aircraft from here,” added Sean Griffen, vice president of sales for Hudson Pacific. “It allows a production to do things that they might not be able to do in some other studio.”
Additionally, the entire property is wired, enabling crews to plug into a control room from any of the stages.
Hudson Pacific already has four large studio lots in Los Angeles where the original Dexter series was filmed, and this marks Hudson Pacific’s first Big Apple venture.
"The demand speaks highly of the of the opportunity in New York for productions to get up and running," said Victor Coleman, CEO of Hudson Pacific Properties about the number of productions that have been eager to see what they have. "We've toured more people through this facility in the last four months than anybody else has in the entire State of New York."
The project aims to leverage New York's vibrant film and TV production market, benefiting from recent tax incentives.
The developers completely rebuilt the old pier that extends hundreds of feet into the Hudson River where there’s a terrace that can be used for hanging out or for filming.
Politicians attending the January ribbon cutting included Congressman Jerry Nadler, Council Speaker Julie Menin and the Borough President Holyman-Sigel.
According to Barry Langer of Vornado, it also includes new public restrooms for Hudson River Park, an 1,800 square-foot community amenity space and 25,000 square feet of open space along the waterfront.
The complex will also create 4,000 permanent jobs and is expected to generate $6.4 billion in local economic impact over the next 30 years, said Giacomo Landi of the New York City Economic Development Corp.
Rhonda Glickman, who heads film, arts and media for Empire State Development declared, “New York has always been a place that nurtures imagination.” The state recently expanded and refined financial incentives that are central to maintaining the industry.
Council Speaker Menin understands that impact as she previously served as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. With over 300,000 jobs in film, TV and media, she said that is more than the finance sector. “When we build new studios, it actually also inures to the benefit of the local community because productions go out into our streets,” Menin said.
Vornado's chief executive Steven Roth attended the ceremonies but didn't speak.
“When global audiences around the world see New York City on their screens, it makes you want to work, visit and live here,” added Kwame Amoaku, Deputy Commissioner in the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
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