Cinespace Film Studios today revealed plans to expand its Kipling Avenue location, breaking ground on two 20,000-square-foot studios and announcing plans to build a permanent underwater filming tank.

The new facilities, named Titan Studios, were unveiled at a press conference Sept. 7 hosted by Cinespace president and CEO, Steve Mirkopoulos, and Toronto mayor, John Tory. A total of 50,000 square feet will be added to Cinespace’s Kipling Avenue location, between the two new studios and support space connecting them. Mirkopolous told Playback Daily that they’re hoping to open Titan’s doors in August of next year. 

“When I go out selling our film industry, the one concern I hear repeatedly is the shortage of studio space,” Tory said in a release announcing the expansion.

Cinespace’s Kipling location currently allows for six large productions to shoot concurrently. Among the projects set to shoot at Cinespace is Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale, which will return to the studio to shoot its second season. The addition of the extra studio space will allow for a seventh production to shoot at the facility, which has previously hosted series such as Reign and Incorporated.

Mirkopoulos said the Titan Studios expansion is the “first phase of our multi-year, multi-million dollar investment and intensification initiative.” Further expansion will include additional purpose-built studios, production support facilities as well as the underwater filming tank, though no timeframe has been set.