In September of 2022, a rumor that Woody Allen would retire from Hollywood was debunked by the filmmaker himself. Now, Allen is ready to talk about his next project, which, according to Deadline, will enter production in October this year in Spain.
Details about Allen’s latest film project are scarce. Still, last year, Deadline reported that the feature would cost around $14 million and be largely in English, with an all-star ensemble cast. Allen’s new movie marks his first effort since 2023’s Coup de Chance, a French-language romantic thriller starring Lou de Laâge, Niels Schneider, and Melvil Poupaud. In Coup de Chance, a chance encounter between two former high school classmates triggers an affair that escalates into betrayal and crime, a narrative territory Allen has famously revisited since Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point.
As he’s gotten older, Allen has been open about the evolving landscape of cinema, noting that finding money to make independent movies today is “a pain in the neck.” Elaborating on his process, he added, “But if someone shows up and calls in and says we want to back the film, then I would seriously consider it. I would probably not have the willpower to say no, because I have so many ideas.”
Despite his gripes about securing financing, Allen maintains a strong working relationship with European backers, particularly in Spain. The country has served as both backdrop and financial base for two of his prior features: the critically acclaimed romantic comedy-drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), which earned Penelope Cruz an Academy Award, and the homage to classic cinema, Rifkin’s Festival (2020).
What’s your favorite Woody Allen film? Mine will forever be 2011’s Midnight in Paris. Owen Wilson is fantastic as a nostalgic screenwriter transported back to the 1920s every night at midnight, rubbing elbows with literary and artistic icons like Ernest Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, and Gertrude Stein. It’s a wonderfully charming exploration of romance, artistic fantasy, and the inescapable danger of living in the past.
Are you interested in learning more about Woody Allen’s next film? Are you amazed that Allen is still directing and writing features at 90 years old? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!