On October 1, 2026, Madrid's Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, alongside the city’s Culture, Tourism and Sports Delegate Marta Rivera de la Cruz and Tourism Councillor Almudena Maíllo, unveiled plans for the upcoming film by renowned director Woody Allen. The film will prominently feature the city as its main backdrop.
Almeida expressed gratitude to Allen for choosing Madrid, stating that the project represents a "unique opportunity" for the city. He emphasized that the film will provide "the best possible setting" for a production that will showcase Madrid to audiences worldwide.
The filming is scheduled to commence on October 5 and will last for six weeks, utilizing over 30 locations across the city. The production will primarily take place within the Community of Madrid, focusing on iconic districts such as Centro, Retiro, and Salamanca, which will highlight the city’s rich cultural landscape.
This upcoming film, a contemporary comedy that will include the word 'Madrid' in its title, marks Woody Allen's 51st directorial project. The cast features Alexi Wasser and Jemima Kirke from the series Girls, Spanish actor Peter Vives, Marton Csokas from The Lord of the Rings, and Jakob Oftebro from Kon-Tiki. Additionally, over 50 Spanish actors, including Jordi Mollà and Paloma Bloyd, will join the production, along with more than 700 extras and a predominantly Spanish technical team of over 370 professionals.
The Madrid City Council is participating as an institutional sponsor, contributing €1.5 million, which represents 12.5% of the film's total budget of €12 million. Notably, 79% of this budget, amounting to €9.46 million, will be spent within the city, ensuring that for every euro invested by the municipality, over six euros will remain in Madrid.
The project is expected to create 1,196 direct jobs and 2,293 indirect jobs. The city has also provided support through the Madrid Film Office, which facilitates production needs and manages municipal authorizations to minimize disruptions during filming.
Woody Allen's choice of Madrid as a primary filming location places the city alongside other major urban centers featured in his films, such as New York, Paris, and Barcelona. His works often utilize urban settings as significant elements of their narratives, showcasing these cities to global audiences.
This film presents Madrid with an opportunity for international exposure as a cultural and cinematic destination. According to the World Tourism Organization, between 80 and 100 million tourists select their travel destinations based on films or series. Productions filmed in Madrid from 2021 to 2024 generated an estimated €1.54 billion in production impact, €883.6 million in gross value added, and equivalent to 10,100 full-time jobs, according to a study by the Madrid Film Office and the L. R. Klein Institute at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
In 2025, Madrid hosted 71 feature films, an increase from 47 in 2022, along with 52 series and over 410 advertisements, reflecting a significant presence of international productions. The Film Authorization Office processed 11,000 filming requests in public spaces, while the Madrid Film Office provided over 4,115 specific assists, nearly a 7% increase from the previous year.
