Over the past two decades, Woody Allen has delivered a string of cinematic love letters to Europe — from Barcelona to Rome to Paris — some of them carrying the glossy allure of tourist postcards. His late-career focus on Europe intensified after his already divisive profile in Hollywood took a hit when longstanding sexual abuse allegations resurfaced during the #MeToo era. His next film is taking his European sojourn one step further: Scheduled to shoot from Oct. 5 in Madrid, the still-untitled project is being backed by millions in public funding tied explicitly to showcasing the Spanish capital on screen.
The cast and plot have yet to be announced, though the Spanish press has already begun speculating about whether Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who are based in Madrid (and also star together in Florian Zeller’s Venice-bound psychological thriller “Bunker”), could appear in or star in the movie. Both are longtime Allen collaborators and previously starred in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” which won Cruz the Oscar for supporting actress. What is known, unusually early for an Allen film, is a considerable amount about its Madrid connection, financing and exhibition requirements.
Some €3 million ($3.5 million) — $2.9 million after VAT deductions — is coming through grants from the Madrid Regional Government, announced last October, and Madrid City Council, made public in December. Building on that base, Allen’s next film can aim to raise a further €4 million in Spain through a mix of tax credits ($2.3 million), a grant from Spanish film agency ICAA ($1.1 million) and a first-window TV prebuy ($1.1 million). That would still leave some $5.8 million to $7 million to be raised from international sales, a considerable challenge.
Without the Madrid grants, however, Allen’s new film would probably not be made at all. That public money comes with strings attached. What is striking is how explicitly those conditions have been laid out for a filmmaker who has long prized total creative freedom and has said there can be no humor without freedom of expression.
Allen, for instance, habitually settles on the title of his movies only after he has finished editing. Under the terms of the agreement with the Madrid Regional Government, his next film will instead have to include the word “Madrid.” Full financing is also contingent on the film premiering at an international festival. Venice could be an option — the festival, led by Alberto Barbera, is not shy when it comes to courting controversy.
The fest premiered Allen’s latest film “Coup de Chance” in 2023, the same year it played Roman Polanski’s “The Palace.” Madrid City Council also said in December that “at least 15% of the film’s scenes will be shot in exteriors, making the city easily recognizable, showing its cultural, architectural and historical facets.” Provisionally titled “WASP 2026″ — short for “Woody Allen Spring Project 2026” — the film is produced by veteran Spanish production-distribution outfit Wanda Vision, Allen’s New York-based Gravier Productions and Puerto Rico-headquartered 3SIX9 Studios. Pre-production and production will take place in Madrid, while post-production will be split between Madrid and New York, Madrid City Council said when confirming its backing in December. Welcome to the new era of screen tourism: Madrid City Council estimates that 79% of the film’s total $11.4 million investment will be spent in the city, generating 1,196 direct jobs and 2,293 indirect jobs.
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