After failed attempts in both Italy and Barcelona, Woody Allen is currently planning to make his next film in Madrid. The 89-year-old coach has secured 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) from the Madrid regional government, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.
1.5 million euros is a significant amount, but it is certainly not enough to finance an Allen film, although Allen will have some backers. He is producing the film through his banner Gravier Production and Spain’s Wanda Vision (“Petra”).
Under an agreement with the Madrid regional government posted online and cited by El Pais, Allen must include Madrid in the film’s title. Part of the funding is stipulated to be paid out after the film’s world premiere at a major film festival, such as the Berlinale, and the amount will be paid in three installments depending on the film’s international career. The investment is described on the portal as “sponsorship by the Community of Madrid for a promotional campaign for a feature film tentatively titled ‘Wasp 2026′”. Wasp is actually an abbreviation for Woody Allen Summer Project.
The contract also states that “Woody Allen is one of the most versatile contemporary artists in film” and that “advertising and promoting a destination through film has been a branding tool throughout the history of film.”
Allen has shot several films in Spain, most famously 2008’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” with Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz in the Catalan city. He also received €1.5 million from a community organization for the film. Most recently, Allen returned to Spain with “Rifkins Festival,” filmed in San Sebastian. The controversial director last made Coup de Chance, a romantic thriller set in Paris, making it his 50th film. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, where Allen managed to sidestep questions about his daughter Dylan Farrow’s sexual abuse allegations.
In an exclusive interview with Variety in Venice, Allen spoke about his love of French film classics, noted the difficulty in raising money in the United States due to controversy, and hinted that Coup de Chance may be his last film.
“I have a lot of ideas for movies, so if it’s easy to get funding, I’d love to do it,” he said. “But beyond that, I don’t know if I have the courage to go out and spend a lot of time fundraising.”
Representatives for Allen, Gravier Productions and WandaVision did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
