Barrandov Studios is a famous set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe.

Several of the movies filmed there won Academy Awards. At present the studios are often called the "European Hollywood" or "Hollywood of the East" due to increasing interest of western productions (such as the movies Mission Impossible, The Bourne Identity, Casino Royale, Prince Caspian, and many others).

The studios make an annual award of the Golden Trilobite (Zlaté Trilobit).

Czech film history is closely connected with that of Prague’s entrepreneurial Havel family, and especially with the activities of the brothers Miloš Havel (1899-1968) and Václav Havel (1897-1979) (Václav was the father of the Czech President of the same name).

In 1921 Miloš Havel created the A-B Joint Stock Company by merging his American Film distribution company with the Biografia film distributors.

At the beginning of the 1930s his brother Václav planned to build a luxurious residential complex on a hill five kilometers outside Prague. Miloš Havel had suggested that he include a modern film studio in the development. The area was to be called Barrandov after Joachim Barrande, the French geologist who had worked at the site in the 19th century.

Barrandov is a district in south-west Prague, Czech Republic, on a rock above the Vltava river. Barrandov is known for its film industry and the film studios located in the old part of the district. The Czech national television services Nova and Barrandov TV broadcast from here. Old Barrandov consists of the villa quarter, Barrandov Terraces and Barrandov Studios, and New Barrandov is located to the west of the old part. Barrandov has a population of about 20,000. A new tram line into New Barrandov was built in 2003.

The name Barrandov is derived from the fossil-rich rocks which were studied by the French geologist Joachim Barrande. The district was named in honor of Barrande on 24 February 1928.

Coordinates: 50°02′02″N 14°22′59″E / 50.03389°N 14.38306°E / 50.03389; 14.38306