Robert De Niro once told the Hollywood Reporter, “New York is the greatest backlot.” A city with a rich cinematic history, the five boroughs have been intrinsically tied to the world of film for over 100 years. While so many iconic movies have used New York City streets as set decoration, though, the city has never been home to the large-scale studio infrastructure that exists in Los Angeles and other major cities around the world. But, with the opening of De Niro’s new Wildflower Studios project, which is located right here in Astoria next to the Steinway Piano Factory, that may be beginning to change.

The idea for Wildflower, which completed construction and became operational in December, originated with Adam Gordon. After Gordon —  a key figure in the development of modern e-commerce warehouses who has worked with Amazon — was approached by several different productions looking to shoot in warehouses he owns, he realized New York was in need of expansive soundstage studios. As we all know though, New York tends to have a bit of a space problem. So, when thinking about the prospect of building his own studio, he considered the New York development tradition of building upwards and came up with the idea of a vertical studio in which the soundstages are stacked on top of each other. Unsure of its feasibility, he brought this concept to a friend of his, De Niro, who instantly loved it. Together, the two found financiers, raised $1 billion, and hired Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to construct their vision.

Ingles, who is responsible for Manhattan’s pyramid-shaped Via 57 West residential complex and has been hired by Major League Baseball to lead the construction of the new Las Vegas A’s stadium, was the visionary behind Wildflower. Described as the world’s first vertical film studio, the building boasts 11 soundstages stacked on two levels. In total, it covers over 765,000 square feet of space, and features three “elephant elevators,” which allow stages to be combined and trucks to access the second story. Loaded with world-class amenities, the team behind Wildflower intends for it to be a significant step forward for 21st-century storytelling.

While the project has garnered a lot of anticipation and enthusiasm, the construction was notably marred by controversy for a brief period of time. A few months after breaking ground in 2022, it came to light that non-union construction workers were hired to work on the site. This led to De Niro receiving backlash and protestors gathering outside of the Tribeca Film Center, home to the Tribeca Film Festival which De Niro co-founded. Following these demonstrations, a representative for the Taxi Driver star told the press that most of the construction workers working on Wildflower were unionized. De Niro and the rest of the team have also emphasized that the studio will create over 1,000 permanent union jobs once it is fully operational.

In terms of its impact on Astoria, the studio should enhance the neighborhood’s economic vitality and cultural vibrancy. Equipped with a commissary and a fitness center, Wildflower will be more than just a place to work. And, with construction including an on-site waterfront park that is open to the public, it’s easy to imagine Wildflower one day becoming a beloved landmark of the community. Of course, Astoria’s other production house, Kaufman Studios, has already earned that status.

The neighborhood’s strong connection to filmmaking history largely began with the opening of Kaufman, originally called Astoria Studios, in 1920. At the time, Hollywood wasn’t quite the center of the American film industry that it would go on to be. New York was still the star, and thanks to Astoria Studios, our neighborhood was known as the Mecca of the Silent Era. When the industry did eventually move west, the studio was converted to be used as a site for the U.S. Army to make training films during World War II. The Army remained the owners of the building until 1970 when it was handed over to the federal government. Then in 1982, real estate developer George S. Kaufman obtained the lease and turned it back into an operational studio.

Wildflower is joining a new wave of studios being built all around New York City due to the state’s recently expanded tax credits. Along with Kaufman — as well as Silvercup Studios and Borden Studios in Long Island City — Wildflower is becoming the fourth such space in this area alone. With the Museum of the Moving Image nearby as well, Astoria could be on the way to becoming a hotbed for the film and television industry once again.

For De Niro, a New York City native raised in the West Village, Wildflower only strengthens his existent ties to Astoria. He has appeared in several films that were partially shot right here in the neighborhood, including Goodfellas and A Bronx Tale. Being a key figure in the history of New York onscreen, the acclaimed actor is passionate about growing the city’s film industry. Hopefully, Wildflower will serve as a way for more productions to be based here because, as De Niro once said, “the other cities are all good … it’s just that the bottom line is most people would rather be in New York, if they could.”