Don’t be surprised if you see Jessica Alba or Brad Pitt walking the streets of Chester. They’re probably working.

The reality of a movie studio in the Delaware Valley is quickly becoming reality. Sun Center Studios is coming to Chester Township, Delaware County, on a 33-acre site.

Local director M. Night Shyamalan apparently already wants a piece of the studio, planning to film his next feature there.

The studio will create 1,000 permanent jobs in Chester in addition to 300 temporary construction jobs. It’s projected that the studio will generate $400 million of local economic activity annually.

But…why Chester?

“One thing about [the Delaware Valley] is it’s not a homogeneous look. We can look like an old city, we can look like a brand-new city. Then you can be in the post-war American suburbs, or have the look of the Main Line, the rolling hills of Chester County or old industrial towns.”
– Sharon Pinkenson, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office

A similar project is planned for the Norristown area. Already, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. have expressed interest in using Sun Center.

Next thing we need is a Lamborghini dealership and a visit from Lindsay Lohan, and we’re right on Hollywood’s heels.

Map courtesy of Philadelphia Daily News.