Brad Pitt’s Next Project? Reopening a Legendary Recording Studio

Before Brad Pitt and Angelina converted Château Miraval into their wedding venue and personal abode, the nearly 1,200-acre estate in Provencal France produced more than just wine. From the late 1970s to early 2000s, it also housed a recording studio that drew the likes of Pink Floyd (who recorded portions of The Wall there), Elton John, AC/DC, Sade, Courtney Love, and The Cure. Now that Pitt has the property all to himself—Jolie sold her 50-percent stake in the winery in October—he’s decided to harken back to that past. On Monday, the 57-year-old actor announced that he and Damien Quintard, a French producer who’s worked with musicians like Arca and Brian Eno, are reopening the space under the name of Miraval Studios.

Given Pitt’s interest in architecture, it’s no surprise that a full renovation is at the top of the pair’s to-do list. The studio that opens up next summer will center around a custom sound desk designed by Pitt and Quintard and be full of natural light. Per a press release, they plan to supplement the original recording equipment, which is miraculously still up to scratch, with “drool-worthy vintage synthesizers” and other amenities—including a tower, lodgings for musicians, and a swimming pool. There’s more: “Naturally,” the release continued, “the catering from the Château will be fantastic.”

All in all, it sounds like Miraval Studios will fit right in with the rest of the luxurious property, which is home to a 35-room house, olive groves, a lake, and an actual moat. Oh, and there’s also still that vineyard, where Pitt will presumably continue to produce Château Miraval’s signature Côte de Provence rosé. (If the catering really is that “fantastic,” Pitt will be serving it up with some of his $390 rosé champagne.)

“We are so excited for musicians of all types to be a part of what we’ve created,” Quintard said in a statement. “It really is a space where you can produce anything from pop and rock, to hip-hop and classical records.” As for who’ll be among the first to make use of the premises, well, don’t be surprised if Frank Ocean pops up in the south of France.