One of Hollywood’s most storied creative addresses has reclaimed its original identity. Musician John Mayer and director McG have officially renamed the former Jim Henson Studios on La Brea Avenue back to Chaplin Studios, restoring the name first given to the property by Charlie Chaplin when he built the studio in 1917. The move follows their recent acquisition of the historic lot for a reported $44–60 million and signals a deliberate effort to reconnect the property with its earliest—and most influential—chapter.
By Allan R. Ellenberger
Chaplin built the studio at the peak of his influence as one of the first movie superstars, both to use as a production space but also as a retreat of his own creative design. Chaplin would go on to create and direct some of his most famous and lasting work at this lot, including The Great Dictator, and build the studio as a bastion of independence and authorship. The playful design, and most notably the gates, became inextricably linked to the lore of Old Hollywood.
After Chaplin’s departure, the property entered a new era as a music landmark. Beginning in the 1960s, it became home to A&M Records, where artists such as The Carpenters recorded, and where albums associated with figures like John Lennon and U2 passed through its studios, further embedding the lot into pop culture history. In 2000, the Jim Henson Company acquired the property, transforming it into Jim Henson Studios, where The Muppets and other projects carried forward a spirit of creativity that echoed Chaplin’s original vision, even as the name changed.
In reclaiming Chaplin Studios as the property's name, Mayer and McG are sending a symbolic—and literal—message. Instead of sanitizing history, they're repurposing it, recognizing that the identity of a studio is not frozen in time to one era but is instead additive. Mayer, who has already recorded music on the lot, has described the space as "one of the few places in the world where history and new art sort of exist at the same time," while McG has highlighted his desire to keep the studio a "working piece of the street" instead of a mausoleum.
Plans for the revived Chaplin Studios center on maintaining its dual role as a music and film production hub, continuing recording sessions while opening the doors to new creative collaborations. The intention, according to those close to the project, is not reinvention for reinvention’s sake, but stewardship—protecting the physical character of the studio while allowing it to remain productive and relevant.
The fact that Mayer and McG would return to the Chaplin name in the first place is, in this throwaway-history culture, one of the most touching points in the whole story. The act means a lot more than a simple name choice or a publicity stunt. It says that the future of Hollywood is in remembering its past. By restoring the old studio name, Mayer and McG have not only bought a building, they have re-energized a 100-year-old brand, a brand that Chaplin Studios once more will mean what it has always meant.Bottom of Form
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