The new film by Woody Allen, the four-time Oscar-winning director and screenwriter, will feature Madrid as the main setting. The name of the city will also be in the title and, in return, the government of the Community of Madrid will invest 1.5 million euros in the production.
This sponsorship is part of a campaign to promote the capital, as explained in the contract published in the Public Procurement Portal of the Community of Madrid. The feature film will be shot before the end of 2027 and is provisionally titled “Wasp”, although the final title will contain the word Madrid and “will not be revealed until the film has been shot”, according to the contract’s justification.
Tourism through cinema
Woody Allen’s films prioritize the script over any other element, so that the story and the place where it takes place take on special importance. This is the case in some of his films such as A Rainy Day in New York (2019) or To Rome with Love (2012).
“The shooting of a film in a territory can mean an enormous growth in popularity, international image, tourist attraction and local economic returns,” explains the justification report. In this way, the locations seen on the big screen remain in the memory of the viewer and generate great publicity and promotion of the country portrayed.
This project is not the first time that Woody Allen has used Spain to promote his cities, as it already happened in 2008 with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The film, starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson, was shot in the Catalan city and brought in 1.5 million euros for the Generalitat de Cataluña, the same amount that will be deposited by the Comunidad de Madrid.
San Sebastian also took center stage in 2020, with Rifkin’s Festival, set in its famous international film festival. Three years later, Woody Allen returned with his latest film to date, Stroke of Luck, shot in Paris and presented at the Venice Film Festival.
A million-dollar shoot with an international scope
In addition to the €1.5 million provided by the Community of Madrid, the future Woody Allen film will be produced by the economic interest grouping “Película WASP AIE“, formed by the production companies Wanda Vision S.A. and Gravier Production INC. They will have the exclusive ownership of the work and will be in charge of managing the production in Spain.
The film will be made in a maximum period of 26 months, before the end of 2027, the year that coincides with the last payment by the Community of Madrid. The financing will be structured in a staggered manner, contributing 150,000 euros in 2025, 600,000 euros in 2026 and the remaining 750,000 euros in 2027, as reflected in the contract.
According to the project’s justification report, the feature film is expected to be released internationally in more than 40 countries, boosting film tourism. It also shows how other works by Woody Allen with similar characteristics have exceeded 150 million dollars at the box office and, as they are available on television platforms, they further increase the options to reach the public.