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.
