Woody Allen will start filming his 51st movie in Madrid on October 5, 2026. The diplomatic story has €3 million in public backing and a reported budget of about $14 million.
The City Council of Madrid and the Community of Madrid will each provide €1.5 million for Woody Allen's next film. Shooting starts on Monday, October 5, 2026. The 90-year-old New York filmmaker plans to set much of the production in the capital, and the title is expected to include the word "Madrid".
The reported budget is about $14 million, or €12 million. Public funding will cover roughly 20 to 25% of that cost, according to Variety and the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales, known as ICAA.
Public money is involved.
This will be Woody Allen’s third film shot in Spain, following Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Rifkin’s Festival.
The two institutions are supporting the project because Madrid offers fewer tax exemptions than competing territories. The deal brings a major international production to the city. It also makes the local contribution hard to miss. Madrid is not only hosting the shoot. Its authorities are helping pay for it.
Allen has said the story needs a diplomatic atmosphere. He already knew Madrid from earlier visits and described the city as elegant and suitable for the script. The film will mix comedy with romance, intrigue and infidelity. He has also warned that the result will depend on how those elements work together during production.
The film still has no final title. Allen plans to choose one after the shoot ends. He has said his confidence in the finished film will decide whether the name sounds bold or cautious. Industry reports say "Madrid" is expected to appear in it.
The production agreement is described as an institutional and tourism-promotion contract rather than a simple subsidy. It reportedly requires at least 15% of the finished film’s running time to be shot in recognizable outdoor locations in Madrid, linking the public support to a visible promotional return for the city.
The contract is more than a simple subsidy. Spanish reports describe it as an institutional and tourism-promotion agreement. At least 15% of the finished film's running time must reportedly be shot in recognizable outdoor locations in Madrid.
That condition ties the funding to a visible return for the city. A joint presentation involving Woody Allen, Ayuso and Almeida is also expected.
The city gets a return.
Most filming will take place in central Madrid. Aranjuez will also appear on screen. The cast includes Alexi Wasser, Jemima Kirke, Spanish actor Peter Vives, Marton Csokas and Jakob Oftebro.
The production is expected to rely almost entirely on a Spanish technical team. Costume designer Sonia Grande has worked with Allen on other films. Director of photography José Luis Alcaine is also joining the project.
Producer Miguel Morales has said Allen was enthusiastic after seeing Alcaine's earlier work. The local crew brings substantial international experience to the shoot.
Madrid has taken on a larger role as a location for high-profile media projects. The city has also drawn national attention through television coverage. A related television report examined that visibility from another angle.
For Madrid's authorities, the calculation is direct. €3 million in public support helps close the funding gap created by the region's weaker tax incentives and brings Allen's production to the city.
The contract reportedly extends the production timetable into 2027. Completion is required by December 31, 2027.
For Allen, Madrid provides the diplomatic setting his script needs. It also offers central streets and nearby Aranjuez. The city is more than a backdrop here. It is the film's main creative choice and its most visible public investment.
