Jamaica Set to Get Its First Modern Sound Stage With “The Complex”

Kingston, Jamaica — Despite its rich film history and international screen appeal, Jamaica has long been without one of the most essential tools of modern media production: a sound stage. That’s now set to change with the development of “The Complex”, a groundbreaking creative compound spearheaded by producer and creative director Kimberly Rhoden, professionally known as The Bougie Brat.

Currently in development, The Complex is poised to become Jamaica’s first purpose-built sound stage and backlot—an indoor, fully controlled filming environment used by top studios around the world. Sound stages are critical to the production of professional film and television, enabling complete control over lighting, weather, and acoustics. While cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and London host dozens of these spaces, Jamaican creatives have had to make do with pieced-together locations and outdoor setups.

Rhoden, who also founded the independent label Amiere Records, envisions The Complex as more than just a film facility. The multi-acre compound will include cutting-edge recording studios, coworking spaces, wellness areas, restaurants, and entertainment venues—all aimed at empowering creatives, entrepreneurs, and storytellers from Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the wider diaspora.

"Jamaica has always been the backdrop for stories told by others," Rhoden says. "It’s time we have the infrastructure to tell our own stories at a world-class level."

While the island has starred in major international productions like James Bond: No Time to Die, Pirates of the Caribbean, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, local filmmakers have often lacked the tools to create at similar scale and quality. Projects like The Harder They Come, Shottas, and Dancehall Queen proved the power of Jamaican storytelling—but sustainable infrastructure remains the missing link.

The Complex is set to address that gap and usher in a new era of homegrown film, media, and cultural production—turning Jamaica from a scenic location into a true creative hub.