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1915

The FOX Studio Lot is one of the rare Hollywood studios that was founded by and still carries the name of its founder, William Fox.

Fox Film Corp. establishes its first major presence in Los Angeles, on Sunset Blvd and Western Ave.

Black and white photo of the Spanish Revival style William Fox Studio building with a tower and American flag, and two men on the sidewalk.

1917

Fox expands the studio on both sides of Western Ave, just south of Sunset. This early production hub became 20th Century-Fox Television throughout the 1960s.

Vintage movie poster for "Cleopatra" starring Theda Bara, depicted in elaborate Egyptian attire surrounded by hieroglyphs.
Elevated black and white view of bungalows, green spaces, and a rose-covered arch, with a "MOTOR SUPPLY" building behind.
Black and white street scene with vintage cars, "The Studio CAFE," "FOX" water tower, and many utility poles and wires.

1920

Fox plans to expand their West Coast production activities in the undeveloped expanse between Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

Vintage black and white photo of an industrial street scene, featuring a large hangar, smaller buildings, and vintage cars.
Black and white aerial view of William Fox Studios, showing rows of bungalows, green lawns, a fence with "WILLIAM FOX STUDIOS" painted on it, and vintage cars on a street.
Elevated black and white view of a house with a garden, surrounded by smaller bungalows and large warehouse-like buildings.

1923

Fox Film Corp. buys a large tract of land from the Janss Real Estate Corp. in the new Westwood Development adjacent to Beverly Hills. This tract was located between Santa Monica Boulevard, Pico Boulevard, Century Park West and later expanding to Avenue of the Stars.


The property had wide-open spaces that were ideal for silent film cowboy stars such as Buck Jones and Tom
Mix, who could freely ride their horses across the grounds. Originally the property was known as the Fox Hills Location Ranch that was later to become an extensive ‘back-lot’ of outdoor settings.


The expansive areas also allowed for the construction of monumental outdoor sets, including those built for
Sunrise (1927), which went on to become a big winner at the first Academy Awards in 1929.

Aerial black and white view of an oil field in a valley with mountains in the distance.

1926

Fox Film Corp. purchased the entire Movietone Sound System including the sound-on-film patents developed and patented by Theodore Case. Movietone eventually became the industry standard, replacing the Warner Bros “Vitaphone” synchronized-disc system.

A vintage advertisement for Fox Movietone News, featuring "HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS?" and the word "HEAR" spelled out in filmstrip frames containing photos. The title "FOX MOVETONE NEWS" includes an eye and ear symbol.
A vintage diagram explaining the Movietone sound-on-film recording process, with illustrations of a performer, microphone, camera, amplifier, and a film strip showing both images and an optical sound track.
A vintage Fox Movietone film camera mounted on a tripod.

1927

The first public showing of Fox Movietone films took place at 42nd St. Harris Theatre in New York City.

Black and white aerial view of a city featuring large studio buildings, residential homes, and commercial structures.
Vintage illustrated map showing Fox Film Corporation's Movietone City studios surrounded by global landmarks and diverse scenes, representing world entertainment.
A vintage black and white photo of the William Fox Studio building, an American flag flying, and several classic cars parked outside.

1928

On October 28th, 1928 Fox Movietone City becomes the first movie studio built exclusively for sound movies.
Fox Film Corporation’s West Coast studio complex was considered the most completely equipped plant for motion picture production in the world.

Black and white image of many 1920s-era cars parked in an open area, with a large building and construction sites in the background.
Vintage photo of the Fox Movietone Film Studio sign and a Spanish Colonial Revival building with a bell tower.
Black and white aerial view of a large industrial or studio complex with many buildings, parked cars, and a gathering crowd, bordered by marshland.

1930

Black and white photo of the Fox Movietone building entrance, featuring a large 1928 plaque and a uniformed man.
Black and white photo of an architectural complex with white buildings, paved roads, and trees under a cloudy sky.

William Fox sold his shares of controlling voting stock of the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres to the General Theatres Equipment Corp., thus ending the William Fox control of the entire company.

1933

Cavalcade (1933) becomes the first and only Best Picture winner at the 6th Academy Awards for Fox Film.

Film crew operates a large camera crane and scaffolding on a movie set.
Aerial black and white view of a large studio lot or entertainment complex next to hills with oil derricks.

1935

Fox Film Corporation merges with Twentieth Century Pictures to form Twentieth Century-Fox, headed by Darryl F. Zanuck.

1936

Vintage black and white photo of a studio lot street, showing large buildings "STAGE 5" and "STAGE 12", a central building with a chimney, and a classic car.

The FOX Studio lot expands and takes over the Westwood Metropolitan Golf Course for backlot settings located to the Northeast of the original Fox property.

Black and white photo of a street lined with studio buildings, one labeled 'STAGES 1 & 2' and another 'ANIMATION BLDG No 1', with a vintage car.

1940

The Fox Studio Lot footprint grows encompassing 265.26 acres, becoming a versatile wonderland with an endless variety of sets including replicas of New York and Chicago, Western streets, European villages, a New England town, elegant mansions, formal gardens, lakes and jungles, to name a few. This historic backlot was used them until filming on location gained popularity.

Aerial black and white photo of a large studio complex featuring multiple sound stages, surrounded by urban development.
Aerial black and white view of a large film studio complex with multiple sound stages, extensive backlot sets, and construction, bordered by residential homes and hills.
Black and white photo of an empty dining room with tables set for service and murals on the upper walls.

1952

The original Western Avenue Fox Film Studios in Hollywood becomes the home to 20th Century Fox Television.

Vintage black and white aerial view of a large film studio lot amidst a city and residential neighborhoods.
Black and white aerial view of a sprawling urban area with a large amusement park or fairgrounds outlined by a dashed white line.
Aerial black and white view of a large film studio complex with multiple sound stages, surrounded by residential housing and roads.

1956

Darryl F. Zanuck resigns as head of production to form his own company which will produce for Fox.

Aerial black and white photo of Disneyland under construction, with Sleeping Beauty Castle, open ground, roads, and parking lots.
Black and white photo of Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret seated at a diner table. She smiles while cutting food, and Elvis looks to the side with clasped hands.
A large white building with a "20th Century Fox" sign on its roof under a blue sky.

1957

20thCenturyFox President Spyros Skouras announces plans to develop the famous Fox back lot into a commercial center.

1961

Aerial view of an urban landscape with a large studio complex, residential neighborhoods, and open undeveloped land. Santa Monica, Olympic, and Pico Boulevards are labeled.
Vibrant Art Deco mural featuring a blue-toned portrait of a man, a film camera, and diverse scenes of people against a stylized city and mountains.

Alcoa Corporation purchases the studio backlots for development and creates Century City.

1962

Darryl F. Zanuck returns, gaining control as president. Spyros Skouras becomes Chairman of the Board.

Black and white aerial view of a sprawling film studio complex surrounded by residential neighborhoods and roads.

1963

Aerial view of a film studio complex with multiple soundstages, parking lots, a wide boulevard, and a hazy city in the distance.

Cleopatra, with it’s estimated production costs totaling $44 million ($350M-$450M in modern value) – became the most expensive Hollywood film ever produced up until that point and nearly bankrupt the studio.

Aerial view of a sprawling studio lot with numerous buildings and parking lots packed with vintage cars, surrounded by a hazy city.

Despite the popular rumor, the decision to sell part of the backlot was not due to Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra. In 1957 the decision was made to sell off the backlots and develop them into commercial properties and it wasn’t until 1961 that the backlots were sold.

Cleopatra premiered at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City on June 12, 1963. It became the highest-grossing film of 1963 earning $57-58M at the box office, ($480M-$570M in modern value).

1968

One of Hollywood’s most lavish sets, a recreation of 1890s Manhattan, is built for Hello, Dolly! (1969). A portion of this iconic set, now known as New York Street, was preserved and has been used by many productions over the years. It was recently completely rebuilt (2023) to endure new decades of service.

The Sunset & Western lot is phased out, closed and demolished for a commercial development while 20th Century Fox's primary operations remain at the Century City lot.

Aerial view of 1970s Century City with the Century Plaza Towers, a golf course, and sprawling residential areas.
Black and white photograph of a street scene with classic buildings, a multi-tiered fountain, and many people.

1981

Real estate developer, Marvin Davis, acquires the FOX Studio Lot. This makes Davis the first private individual to own a major film studio since the early days of Hollywood.

1985

The FOX Studio Lot is sold to Rupert Murdoch who transforms it to meet the demands of the new FOX media companies, including its television network and sports channels.

Aerial view of a film studio lot with ornate building facades, sound stages, streets, and parking lots filled with cars and trucks.

1991

A model of the paddle steamer Clermont on a stand, with cars and city buildings under an elevated train track in the background.
A vintage street view featuring ornate buildings, including one with a large "Benson's Capcine Porous Plaster" billboard, classic cars, and trolley tracks under a blue sky.

Launching of a historical preservation program on the 20thCenturyFox lot was planned.

1994

The studio lot has been under renovation and expansion. The FOX Studio Lot is prepared for the 21st century: Building 100 is constructed for the new worldwide headquarters. Building 101 is created to house additional soundstages for television. Stages 3 & 4, state-of-the-art post-production facilities, are constructed.

Aerial view of a sprawling urban landscape featuring skyscrapers, residential neighborhoods, a large shopping mall, and a golf course.
Aerial view of a large studio complex with many buildings, including sound stages and some with solar panels on their roofs.
Modern building with white roof overhangs and palm trees lining a street.

2023

The FOX Studio Lot celebrates its 100th anniversary with a continued renovation and expansion program.

Aerial view of a modern cityscape with skyscrapers, urban buildings, and a large green park.
White trucks, some with FOX logos, parked on a street in front of a building labeled "STAGES 1 & 2" with palm trees and a clear blue sky.
A production crew and lighting equipment are set up outside a building with a large FOX NFL logo.

2025

Currently in use at the studio are over 2 million square feet of production support and headquarter facilities for Fox administration, production personnel, stages, theaters, dressing rooms, and editing bays, and including the famous Alfred Newman Scoring Stage and the Café de Paris dining room with it’s vintage Hollywood murals.

Aerial view of a large studio complex alongside a busy road, with a city skyline and hills in the background.
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