Owners of the fire-ravaged Littlewoods building in Liverpool have said they are doing "everything within [their] power" to transform the venue into a £60m film studio - but also that the project still "hangs in the balance".
Work on a Hollywood-style film studio was hoped to begin by the end of 2019 after a huge fire gutted the building in September last year.
Since then, speculation has arisen as to when work will start, but Capital & Centric, the owners of the Edge Lane site, have now spoken out.
When asked on Twitter if the firm was "confident" of a start in early 2020, its account responded: "Nope, with such a mega project, ambition on an unprecedented scale, it all hangs in the balance, but we’re giving it everything we’ve got and we won’t give up until we’ve done everything we can to make it happen."
The account said days earlier that there is not yet a start date for the project previously dubbed the "Hollywood of the North".
A fire swept through the art deco era building in , damaging the west wing and leaving the clock tower badly scorched.
Police later said the fire was suspicious.
After the blaze, film company Twickenham Studios said they intended to go ahead with their plans for a major studio at the site off Edge Lane.
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And during the summer, Capital & Centric said that the £60m film studio could provide a massive financial boost to the city's economy.
When contacted for a statement, Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital & Centric said the determination to complete the development "remains as strong as ever".
He told BusinessLive: "We’re just as frustrated as everyone else that this amazing building is still sat there empty but we’re doing everything within our power to deliver the film studios.
"We continue to work very closely with Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool Film Office, and appreciate their unswerving support.
"Our enthusiasm and determination to deliver this transformational development remains as strong as ever."
Erected in 1938, the building was home to the Littlewoods Pools for 60 years and over 30,000 employees worked for the family-run business at its peak.
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John and Cecil Moores garnered a reputation for genuinely caring for their workforce, ensuring that they were paid the highest wage in Liverpool and organising mass employee away days to seaside resorts.
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The Edge Lane building was commandeered during World War II when, and the site was used to mass manufacture parachutes and print conscription documents.
It was also used to intercept all international mail leaving and entering the 海角视频, in an attempt to break enemy codes and protect national secrets.
Attempts were also made by BusinessLive to contact Twickenham Studios and Liverpool City Council.