The City Council of Madrid and the Community of Madrid will each provide €1.5 million for Woody Allen’s next film, scheduled to begin shooting 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 the cost, information from Variety and the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales, known as ICAA. Variety reports that this will be Allen’s third film shot in Spain, following Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Rifkin’s Festival.
The two institutions are backing the project because Madrid offers fewer tax exemptions than competing territories. The deal brings a major international production to the city, with local authorities helping finance the film and host the shoot.
Allen has said the story needs a diplomatic atmosphere. He already knew Madrid from earlier visits and described it as elegant and suitable for the script. The film will blend comedy and romance, with intrigue and infidelity also in the mix. He has warned that the result will depend on how those elements come 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 determine whether the name sounds bold or cautious. Industry reports expect “Madrid” to appear in it.
Spanish reports describe the contract as an institutional agreement that also promotes tourism, rather than a straightforward subsidy. 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.
Most filming will take place in basic Madrid, with Aranjuez also appearing 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, while director of photography José Luis Alcaine is joining the project.
Producer Miguel Morales has said Allen was enthusiastic after seeing Alcaine’s earlier work. The local crew brings large international experience to the shoot.
Madrid has become a more prominent location for high-profile media projects and 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, with completion required by December 31, 2027.
For Allen, Madrid provides the diplomatic setting his script needs, along with basic streets and nearby Aranjuez. The city is the film’s basic creative choice and its most visible public investment.
