Filmed in Budapest: Sky Atlantic’s miniseries, AMADEUS

Budapest stands in for Vienna in a new adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s 1979 stage play that re-imagines the rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

Will Sharpe as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Image via SkyGroup.

Although set in late 18th century Vienna, the mini-series was filmed almost entirely in Budapest and across Hungary between May and September 2024. Apart from sharing significant architectural similarities with Vienna–such as sweeping 19th-century boulevards as well as grand neoclassical and Baroque buildings–Budapest as a filming location further offered a competitive 30% tax rebate and efficient production infrastructure.

While the celebrated 1984 film version of AMADEUS won eight Academy Awards, this new TV adaptation expands the narrative across multiple episodes, alternating the perspective from both Salineri and Amadeus’ viewpoints while exploring both the burden of genius and the pain of mediocrity. Will Sharpe portrays Mozart as restless, brilliant, and overflowing with ideas, while Paul Bettany delivers a controlled, deeply conflicted Salieri whose jealousy slowly consumes him.

Will Sharpe with Paul Bettany, who plays Antonio Salieri.

Budapest itself plays an essential role. The city’s historic streets, palaces, and cultural landmarks convincingly recreate Habsburg-era Vienna. Filming took place at iconic locations including the Castle Quarter, St Stephen’s Basilica, the Hungarian State Opera, and the Operetta Theatre. Beyond the capital, the production also shot in the west of Hungary: Sopron, Szentendre, and Esterházy Castle in Fertőd.

Sharpe has spoken in glowing terms about filming in Budapest, praising both the beauty of the city and the professionalism of local crews. While summer heat posed challenges, particularly in heavy period costumes, the experience underscored why so many international productions return to Hungary. In the past, the city’s diverse architecture has doubled for locations ranging from New York to cities across Europe, often with minimal visual alteration.

Produced by Two Cities Television in association with Sky Studios, AMADEUS stands as yet another strong example of how Budapest continues to attract high-profile film and television projects. For international producers looking to combine visual richness, period authenticity, logistical efficiency, and financial incentives, Hungary remains a leading choice for productions set in a range of time periods.

The five-part series, penned by British screenwriter Joe Barten (Black Doves, The Lazarus Project), premiered on 21 December 2025 on Sky Atlantic. Available in European territories from 2 January 2026 on SkyShowtime.

Sources & further information

Film New Europe

CNN Traveller

www.movielocations.com

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Iconic Hungarian Director and Master of Introspective Cinema Béla Tarr Dies at 70

Béla Tarr passed away last Tuesday at the age of 70 after a long and serious illness, leaving behind an idiosyncratic body of work that made him one of the most deeply respected art-house directors in the world.

Béla Tarr. Photo via Wikipedia.

Known for their stark, visual style, Tarr’s black and white films are famous for their unhurried pacing. Focussing on details and atmospheric moments rather than the usual conventions of plot, Tarr explored existential themes, often using single-take shots which lasted several minutes. This enabled the audience to experience the worlds on the screen more authentically, rather than by having their emotions manipulated via traditional story devices. The Hollywood Reporter noted that, although Tarr’s films were never successful commercially, they contributed significantly to art house cinema.

Tarr’s subject matter usually involved ordinary people doing ordinary things. His films are a moving canvas that deal with people living marginalized or bleak lives. Often working with non-professional actors, Tarr’s most famous film–and one that founded the contemporary slow cinema movement–SÁTÁNTANGO (1994) runs at over seven hours. Depicting the human condition after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the film is based on László Krasznahorkai’s novel of the same name. Krasznahorkai, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2025, was a Hungarian author Tarr often collaborated with.

Film poster via Wikipedia.

Born in Pécs, Hungary, in 1955, Tarr grew up in Budapest where both his parents worked in the film and theatre industries. Tarr’s interest in film was sparked at the age of 14 when his father gave him an 8 mm camera. He started working at Balázs Béla Stúdió at the age of 16 and debuted as a director in 1979 with his first film FAMILY NEST, which won the Grand Prix at the Mannheim Film Festival.

After his own film studio was shut down for political reasons in 1985, Tarr continued to make films independently. The last film he directed was THE TURIN HORSE which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2011 and won the Grand Jury Prize. Tarr told The Hollywood Reporter:

 “I don’t want to be a stupid filmmaker who is just repeating himself and doing the same shit just to bore the people” 

Film poster via Imdb

The rest of Tarr’s career was devoted to training film makers and developing new methods of filmmaking. To this end, he established an international film school (film.factory) in Sarajevo in 2012.

Sources & further information

Hollywood Reporter

Euronews

Wikipedia

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Adam Driver at Liszt Ferenc Academy in Budapest

Adam Driver, star of films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Marriage Story (2019) and Ferrari (2023), was spotted enjoying some downtime while filming his latest movie in Budapest.

Adam Driver. Photo via Wikipedia.

In town filming scenes for his new film Alone at Dawn, Driver (a classical music fan) attended a concert at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in downtown Budapest. The institute, located in a beautifully ornate Art Nouveau building that’s over 150 years old, offers both BA and MA programs.

Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. Photo via Wikipedia.

As reported on the academy’s social media page, The Pilgrimage Years’ Music Marathon event featured Gábor Farkas, a Liszt prize-winning pianist and Fülöp Ránki, the university’s rector who is also a teacher at the institution. Three outstanding young students: Máté Paládi, Ildikó Rozsonits and Attila Szaniszló also performed Franz Liszt’s complete piano cycle.

The upcoming film Alone at Dawn–directed by Ron Howard–also stars Anne Hathaway and Betty Gilpin. The feature centres on the true story of an Air Force Combat Controller, John A. Chapman and was adapted from a 2019 book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz.

Set during a rescue mission in the Takur Ghar mountain region of Afghanistan, the movie recounts the events of Operation Anaconda when Sargeant Chapman was wounded, his helicopter shot down by rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun fire. Although injured, Chapman managed to save 23 of his comrades by attacking the bunkers of al-Qaeda fighters. Tragically, while ensuring his Navy SEAL unit was able to retreat to safety, he was killed in the process. 16 years later, Chapman’s widow finally received the military’s highest honour for her husband’s heroic acts.

Filming in both Budapest and Maryland in the U.S, production is expected to wrap in early 2026.

Sources & further information

Hungary Today

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Locations in Hungary: Mid-century Architecture of Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is a significant geographical and cultural feature of Hungarian life. As a popular holiday destination, the architecture of the region reflects several different epochs. But as the infrastructure began to develop rapidly from the 1950s, so too did the construction of restaurants and hotels representing a modern, socialist-era building style that was predominant until the late 1980s.

Ezüstpart Hotel, Siófok, Lake Balaton. Photo via startutazas.hu

The story of how infrastructural development was fast-tracked after 1956.

The area began to be more seriously developed after the 1956 revolution. Eager to “depoliticize” the masses, the central authority pushed for holidays to be attainable for everyone. Getaways to Balaton seemed just the ticket, but infrastructure in the form of roads, motorways, accommodation, beach areas and restaurants needed to be established fast.

A unified, regional plan was required and commissioned, with a team of three people formed to oversee projects. By the late 1950s, construction was begun. Primarily focussing on public utilities, footpaths and holiday accommodation, infrastructure surrounding beach areas were also developed, including parks, shops, food stands and restaurants.

Why did Balaton develop differently from other Eastern European holiday resorts?

The small Balaton team assessed an average of 100 building permits per week. Most plans (not including public institutions) were then executed by local tradespeople, which resulted in wildly different quality standards. But with this number of projects happening simultaneously, there was no possibility to properly devote time to each. Understanding the circumstances of the time helps to explains how some of the architecture and infrastructure of the area came to be–the good and the bad.

Károly Polónyi, who would go on to write a memoir about his experiences of the time, was one of the three people on this team. He became Chief Engineer responsible for the development of the southern shore. In his memoir, Polónyi explains that during his three-year tenure he was able to access a company motorbike as well as the network of MÁV trains to travel, sleeping under a tent pitched on a boat moored at the Balatonföldvár yacht club from Spring until November. In his memoir, Polonyi comments:

“By submitting the Balaton Regional Draft Plan, we managed to dissuade the government from creating a holiday resort similar to the Romanian resorts by the Black Sea and the Bulgarian Gold Coast, where tourists from the west can spend their foreign currency in an area separated from the local community. Instead, we set out to reform the region as a whole, as a living organism with carefully selected investments. Our main aim was to create infrastructural investments that everyone could benefit from, including locals, holidaymakers, tourists, Hungarians and foreigners.”

Some architectural highlights of the 1960s-1980s around Lake Balaton.

A recent article in Telex written by Péter Sz. Németh and János Fehér reflected on just over 40 years of architecture around Lake Balaton. Not everything built during this era can be written off as sprawling socialist monstrosities. Using the book Balaton Modern 1956 – 1989 published by Kedves László Könyvműhely and Domonkos Wettstein (with photographs by János Bődey) as a kind of guidebook to the area, the writers of the article found that there are many structures that incorporated traditional building materials to create something practical that still blended into the surrounding area.

As one of the more prominent resort towns on the southern shore of the lake, Siófok had its fill of company and trade union holiday resorts springing up from the 1970s. Usually bulky hotels built to accommodate hundreds of staff and their families via subsidized holidays, they were designed with convenience and efficiency top of mind.

Hotel Ezüstpart: (photo above) Created by the Ybl prize winning architect Erno Tillai, the hotel was finished at the beginning of the 1980s. This memorable-looking structure in Balatonszéplak with a lattice-like façade curving around room balconies includes 354 rooms and a large inside pool complex. It was the last hotel to be built under the scope of the regional development plan that began in the 1950s.

BMW Holiday Apartments (via their facebook page)

BMW Club Holiday Apartments: Not all these structures involved large complexes such as the Ezüstpart Hotel. Co-op holiday resorts were also designed to create a more secluded experience, such as this development of row-houses designed by Zsolt Bajnay, another Chief Engineer with the Balaton Executive Committee.

Built in 1968, each of the 42 units (although only 35 square metres in size) nevertheless contain sleeping alcoves for up to four people and a private bathroom. In total 160-170 people could be accommodated at a time.

Badacsonytomaj railway. Photo via Wikimedia

Badacsonytomaj Railway Station: Built in 1971, this small station, a brutalist-inspired rectangular building with a flat roof comprised of wooden planks, is big in scope. Thanks to the quarry that once operated in Badacsonytomaj, basalt stone was used to tile the station’s walls.

Tátika Restaurant. Photo via EBH Invest.

Tátika Restaurant. Photo via EBH Invest.

Tátika Restaurant, Badacsony: The Tátika restaurant, designed by Ference Callmeyer and built in 1962, was originally planned to hover five metres over the surface of the lake. However, the area was later paved as the often-icy waters in winter deteriorated the structure. Declared a heritage building over fifteen years ago, the restaurant has recently been extensively renovated and the interior completely modernized. It currently functions as both a restaurant and tourist information centre.

Sources & further information

Telex

We Love Balaton

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Filmed in Hungary with Flatpack Films: EL SET

Coming to Netflix this week is a biopic about legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, whose voice was described by Maria Callas as “incomparable”. The feature was partly filmed with the help of Flatpack Films, recreating the cities of Alexandria and Paris in Hungary for scenes shot here.

Umm Kulthum. Photo via Wikipedia

Alternatively referred to affectionately in Egypt as “El Set” (the lady) or the “fourth pyramid”, Umm Kulthum (1904-1975) was a singer revered throughout the Arab world. She also had many fans in the West; her unique singing talent was admired by musicians such as Bob Dylan, Bono and Robert Plant.

Kulthum had a humble upbringing in an Egyptian village. Born to a rural imam father, she started singing with her family’s ensemble, wearing a boy’s cloak and Bedouin head covering on stage. Kulthum would eventually forge a reputation as one of the greatest singers of Egypt.

Her rare contralto (the lowest female register) voice was one of the things that set her apart. Her vocal range extended from as low as the 2nd octave up to the 7th or 8th at her peak. Additionally, she had incredible vocal strength, able to produce 14,000 vibrations per second with her vocal cords. This meant she had to be positioned three feet away from the microphone. A skilled improviser, it was also widely believed that she never sang a lyric the same way twice.

Kulthum’s lengthy, heartfelt performances combined emotional truth with hot-button issues of the time–she was not one to shy away from exploring politics through her music. This became especially pertinent while Egypt rebuilt itself after British colonial rule ended. El Set’s career grew in parallel with the country’s new-found independence, her songs symbolising Egyptian identity. Illustrating her significant influence is the fact that over 4 million people attended her funeral service in 1975.

Photo via Wikipedia. Most probably taken in 1968 at one of her last performances.

Her music still carries weight today, not only in Egypt but in other Middle Eastern countries and beyond. On a list of the 200 greatest singers of all time, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Umm Kulthum at number 61.

It’s no surprise that Marwan Hammed is the director behind the El Set film. He is one of the leading directors in Egypt and one who has continuously set box office records there. His last film, a historical epic Kira & El Gin (2023)–on which Flatpack Films also had the pleasure of working–was a huge financial success that brought audiences back to the cinema post-pandemic.

El Set will be released on Netflix 11th December 2025.

Sources and Further Information:

Deadline

Wikipedia

Screen Daily

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Filmed in Hungary: Six Recent Movie & Series Releases

There’s been another steady stream of releases this fall-winter of international films and TV series that were filmed in Hungary. Let’s take a closer look.

1. Now you see me

This is the third instalment of the franchise Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, directed by Ruben Fleischer. The story sees the original Four Horseman–a group of rebellious magicians played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco–teaming up again to steal the world’s largest diamond from South African mogul, Veronkia Vanderberg (played by Rosamund Pike).

Although the film heavily features the group’s adventures around the world (from Belgium to Abu Dhabi), the bulk of the filming took place in Hungary. Originally chosen for budgetary reasons, it was soon apparent that Hungary could stand in for other European locations. Fleischer commented that,

“Once we realised that we were shooting in Hungary, we specifically scripted things to take place in Europe. Originally, the first act was more New York-based. Instead of trying to create New York in Budapest, we decided to lean into the Europe of it all.”

2. Amadeus (Sky TV)

Remember the legendary film from 1984? Now you’ll be able to relive the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through this limited, five-part series that will reportedly be released sometime in December. The story is based on Peter Shaffer’s award-winning 1979 stage play, a fictional account of the ups and downs of one of the world’s greatest composers. Mozart arrives in Vienna during the 18th century, meets the singer who will become his wife (Constanze) and the composer who will become his nemesis (Salieri). The play itself was inspired by Alexander Pushkin’s short 1830 play, Mozart and Salieri.

First look images from the production were released a few months back showing Will Sharpe in the title role and Paul Bettany as Antonio Salieri. No surprises that the show was filmed in Budapest. Standing in for 18thcentury Vienna is at this point child’s play for the city.

 3. Dust Bunny

Touted as a family-horror film, the story revolves around a young girl (Aurora, played by Sophie Sloan) who’s convinced there’s a monster living under her bed. She asks her enigmatic neighbour for help, a hitman played by Mads Mikkelsen. Written and directed by Bryan Fuller–well-known for his work in TV on series such as Pushing Daisies and Hannibal–the film is a mix of horror and dark fantasy. Other cast members include  Sigourney Weaver, and David Dastmalchian.

Dust Bunny was filmed on location in Budapest at Origo Studios, with the production also using city streets and interiors as locations. Fuller’s feature film debut premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this year and released not long after.  

4. Death by Lightening (Netflix) 

This historical drama miniseries is based on a book by Candice Millard, Destiny of the Republic. The story centres on the election of James A. Garfield (played by Michael Shannon), standing on a platform of anti-corruption and pro-civil rights. He went on to becume the 20th President of the United States but only served for six months as he was shot by a delusion admirer, Charles J. Guiteau (played by Matthew Macfadyen).

Set in 19th-century America, some questioned why the series was shot in Hungary. But the country has built a reputation of being able to depict a range of locations, especially those set in period genres. This is thanks to its diversity of architecture, ranging from Gothic, Baroque to Art Nouveau. For this particular series, filming also took place at Budapest’s Old Train Musuem. The interiors of several historic carriages were used for scenes where characters journeyed across America.

 5. Nuremberg

The much anticipated American psychological thriller / historical drama film, directed by James Vanderbilt, is based on Jack El-Hai’s book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist. The film tracks the story of Douglas Kelley (played by Rami Malek), a U.S. Army psychiatrist sent to examine and monitor the mental state of  high-ranking Nazis such as Herman Göring (Russell Crowe) as they await trial in Nuremberg. Also premiering at TIFF this year, the film received a four-minute standing ovation, one of the longest in the history of the festival. 

Leaning into its reputation of being able to provide authentic period locations, Budapest again did not disappoint in providing this production a base for principal photography. As well as soundstages, city streets were also used to capture the post-world-war-two era, with some key scenes being shot at Duna Palota, a building in downtown Budapest. Special focus was placed on getting visuals details of the time correct, with Vanderbilt allegedly working closely with designers and historians to ensure authenticity of the sets.

6. The Testament of Ann Lee

A historical, musical drama film based on the life of Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shaker movement. This was a religious sect of the 18th century, the followers of which proclaimed Lee as a female Christ and showed their worship through song and dance. Directed by Mona Fastvold, the film stars Amanda Seyfried in the title role as she tries to establish a utopian society. Premiering in competition at the Venice International Film Festival, the feature will be released in late December in the U.S. and early 2026 for other territories.

Budapest was again, perhaps surprisingly, chosen as the main production base for the film. Thanks to the city’s range in terms of historical architecture, it was able to depict England (where Ann Lee was born) and later the U.S. of the mid-18th-century where the Shaker religion found its footing.   

Sources & further information

Now You See Me, Now You Don't

Amadeus

Dust Bunny

Death by Lightning

Nuremberg

The Testament of Ann Lee

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Booker Prize Winning Novel FLESH to be Adapted for the Screen

David Szalay, the Hungarian-British writer who recently won the Booker Prize with his latest novel, FLESH, is reportedly in talks to bring the story to the screen.

David Szalay. Photo via Wikipedia

Writers of Hungarian extraction seem to be having a moment. Hot on the heels of the Nobel Prize for Literature being awarded to Hungarian László Krasznahorkai follows the news that Hungarian-British author David Szalay has won the Booker Prize. Now it seems his book is to be adapted for the screen by House Productions in the U.K., the producers behind Conclave (2024) and Zone of Interest (2023).

Szalay was born in 1974 in Montreal to a Canadian mother and Hungarian father. He grew up in the U.K. where he attended the University of Oxford and worked various jobs before spending several years in Hungary. 

Flesh, Szalay’s sixth novel, has been described as an unconventional rags to riches tale. It follows the life of an alluring but emotionally detached and taciturn Hungarian man and his unconventional journey from living on a housing estate in Hungary to rubbing shoulders with the mega-rich in London. There’s been much discussion regarding the novel as a comment on toxic masculinity and the writer’s use of a sparse prose style seems to underline that theme.

Beyond that, the novel is a story about alienation. While talking about Flesh, Szalay explained that he, "wanted to write a book that stretched between Hungary and London and involved a character who was not quite at home in either place." In part this was because Szalay was also, at the time, living between Hungary and the U.K. and he felt that fact needed to be reflected in his choice of subject matter. This was why writing about a Hungarian immigrant made sense.

The Booker Prize is one of the most esteemed literary awards in the world and there’s a history of past winning novels (such as The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje and The Handmaid’s Taleby Margaret Atwood) going on to become hits of the both the big and small screen.

According to an exclusive report from Deadline, it seems it’s not yet been decided whether a film or series format would best suit the project. While discussing both options, Szalay commented that, “There were arguments on both sides. On the film side, [the argument was] it could be made as a single, impactful work that can be taken in at one sitting… it would be a way of extracting the greatest power from it, and I can see that.” The article further revealed that there’s chatter İlker Çatak, the German writer-director of the Oscar-nominated film The Teachers’ Lounge, is in talks regarding possibly directing the film. Nothing has been confirmed as yet, but Szalay has publicly welcomed the possibility, describing himself as a fan of the director’s previous work.

Should an adaptation of Flesh make it to the screen, regardless of whether it’s in film or series form, we can’t wait to watch it. No doubt filming would take place at least partly in Hungary to reflect the authenticity of this very unique story.

Sources and further information

Deadline

The Booker Prize

Wikipedia

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Biopic of Hungarian Actor Béla Lugosi in the Works?

It’s recently been reported that a biopic of Béla Lugosi–the Hungarian actor who made a name for himself playing Dracula on the stage and in the classic film of 1931– is in the works at Universal.

Béla Lugosi as Dracula, 1931. Picture via Wikipedia.

The news first broke the week before Halloween in an exclusive story for Deadline by Matt Grobar. Although the project is apparently still in the early planning stage, Leonardo Di Caprio’s production company has teamed up with producers Alex Cutler and Darryl Marshak to develop the film. It sounds like a bit of a passion project for Cutler and Darryl, who have been keen to get a movie about Lugosi off the ground ever since they were both teens.

It’s also been reported that there’s a script already in place from celebrated screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the duo behind Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Dolemite Is My Name and American Crime Story. The film would revolve around Lugosi’s younger years, following his immigration from Hungary to his eventual success starring in Dracula on Broadway and the 1931 Hollywood horror film classic of the same name.

Who was Bela Lugosi?

Born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó in 1882, the man the public would come to recognize as the original on-screen Dracula took the name of the town he was born in–Lugos, in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania). Lugosi found acting at a young age and appeared in more than 170 productions in Hungary before serving in World War I as an infantry officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army. After the failed Hungarian Communist Revolution in 1919, Lugosi was forced to flee the country due to his Socialist activities.

He ended up in New Orleans in 1920 and, after appearing in various Hungarian language productions staged for the Hungarian diaspora, landed his first part in a Broadway play, The Red Poppy, in 1922. What followed were various stage and film parts where he usually played villains and various “foreign” types.

Lugosi’s big break came in 1927 when he starred as Count Dracula in a Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel. This eventually led to the starring role in the 1931 film version of Dracula. But despite the critically acclaimed reception Lugosi had received for his performance on the stage, several other more prominent actors of the time were originally considered for the title role. Lugosi had to campaign hard to win over a team of studio executives who were against giving him the part. One of the key reasons they eventually relented was Lugosi’s willingness to accept a paycheck of $3,500 for the seven-week shoot.

Béla Lugasi at 18 year old, clearly born for the part of Dracula. Picture via Wikipedia.

The downside for the actor, with his thick Hungarian accent, was that he was forever battling being typecast as the villain in horror films after the success of the film. Nevertheless, Lugosi’s fame endures to this day. Nearly a hundred years later, his name is still synonymous with the role of Dracula. Fingers crossed that the stars align to bring this great Hungarian actor’s life behind the scenes to the big screen.

Sources & further information 

Deadline

Wikipedia

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.  

Gyula Czimra: A Quiet Life Leading to Exceptional Art

Gyula Czimra (1901–1966) might be one of the most fascinating painters of 20th-century Hungary that you’ve never heard of. A reclusive and introspective artist, his work is admired for its clarity, diversity of style and quiet strength, placing him, without doubt, among the leading Hungarian painters of his time.

Self-portrait, 1934. Via Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

A recent exhibition at the National Gallery in Budapest, Without Shadow, presents nearly half of Czimra’s life’s work—around 180 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and tapestries.

Czimra was working as a technical draftsman when he started taking art classes at night. Serious in his intentions of becoming an artist, he travelled to Paris in 1923, taking a job as an engine fitter at the Renault factory to support himself. Czimra was soon enrolled in the Ecole National Supérieure des Beaux-Arts where he studied under Lucien Simon for a year. His first solo show, comprising mostly of his drawings, was held in 1926 at the Galerie de Zodiaque.

Gauguin Changes Everything

A turning point in Czimre’s art can be attributed to a major exhibition of Paul Gauguin’s work in Basel, Switzerland in 1928, which Czimra attended on his way back to Hungary. Gauguin clearly made a deep impression on Czimra, freeing him from his prior convictions regarding colour and form. This is strongly evident in his paintings and sculptures of the time. After returning to Hungary, Czimra reconnected with some of his old friends at the artists’ colony in Szentendre that had been established three years previously. His self-portraits here reveal a much more self-assured artist, and he began to attract critical attention.

Artist and his Wife, 1932. Hungarian National Gallery.

Retreat into a Secluded Life

The next year, in 1930, he married Etelka Zombory, who was working in the supreme court. Although Czimra built a house for them in Rákoshegy outside Budapest, the couple’s relationship was not completely conventional considering the time period. Until his death in 1966, Czimra tended his beloved garden and continued to experiment artistically, mostly at home and on the fringes of the artistic community, while Etelka remained the breadwinner of the family. It was in Rákoshegy that he developed his distinctive post-impressionistic style and experimented with his use of colour, clearly influenced by Vincent Van Gogh.

Retreating from the world and devoting himself to his garden, Czimra was eventually able to find his own unique style within the seclusion of his family home. After a period of painting very little between 1938 and 1954, he returned to his art with renewed vigour, producing some of his finest and most accomplished work. His love of geometric symmetry evident, the art of this period portrays the intimate interiors of his home life done in a minimalist, almost naïve style.

Still Life in the Kitchen, 1962. Hungarian National Gallery.

Gyula Czimra: Emerging from the Shadows

The title of the exhibition, Without Shadow, symbolizes the clarity of Czimra’s artistic vision, maintained throughout his evolution of an artist, as well as his love of a quiet, introspective life. The exhibition has hopefully gone some way to recognize this artist as one of the major figures of modern Hungarian art after having flown far too long under the radar.

View, 1964. Hungarian National Gallery.

Sources and further information:

Hungarian National Gallery

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Budapest Classics Film Marathon 2025

Since 2017, the Budapest Classics Film Marathon has been celebrating restored movie favourites every year for a week in autumn. This year, as well as commemorating some classic films, the festival also honoured esteemed Hungarian-Canadian director, Robert Lantos, and hosted three great directors he has collaborated with repeatedly over the span of his illustrious career.

Via NFI.

Honouring Producer Robert Lantos

Organized by the NFI (National Film Institute of Hungary), the film marathon this year presented a special retrospective, screening the films of renowned film producer Robert Lantos. Lantos has more recently been one of the driving forces behind the historical epic tv series, Rise of the Raven.

This year’s film marathon also hosted two Canadian filmmakers who have worked in close collaboration with the producer: David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan, as well as legendary Hungarian director, István Szabó.

Fourteen films that Lantos produced were screened, including Cronenberg’s Crash (1996) and Eastern Promises (2007); Egoyan’s Oscar-nominated The Sweet Hereafter (1997) and Szabó’s Sunshine (1999) and Being Julia (2004).

During a roundtable discussion, the filmmakers shared their experiences and opinions on the delicate relationship between producer and director. Lantos revealed how he has chosen his projects in the past, seeking out films that added to the conversation, rather than rehashing what’s already been said before. In addition to his commercial successes, the producer has also endeavoured to make at least one or two more artistically-inclined films a year, ones that interest him personally. 

It was also interesting to hear first-hand about the initial significant controversy Cronenberg’s film Crash stirred when it premiered at Cannes in 1996. Both Lantos and the director remembered being surprised at the scandal it caused among the press corps, especially considering it was based on a well-known novel by J. G. Ballard. In fact, Cronenberg went on to reveal that Ballard, also present at the premier, hit back at critics claiming that he thought the film was even better than the original book.

Picture via Imdb.

Focus of Budapest Classics Film Marathon 2025

This year the festival also paid special tribute to Hungarian director, Károly Makk as well as celebrated Hungarian-born screenwriter, Joe Eszterhas, whose film credits include Flashdance (1983) and Basic Instinct(1992) – and who we’ve recently written about here. Additionally, as part of the festival’s principal aim to bring archived material back to life, a restored 1943 film, Light and Shadow, from one of Hungary’s first female directors, Klára Tüdős Zsindelyné, was also screened and proved to be one of the highlights of the program.

The Lumière Brothers: where it all began

Another high point of the festival was presented by Thierry Frémaux, Artistic Director of the Cannes Film Festival and President of the Lumière Institute, in the form of a screening of Lumière! The Adventure Continues. This featured restored footage from the dawn of cinema 130 years ago.

The Lumière Brothers are widely considered to be the pioneering founding fathers of “cinématographe” using a device they invented – a portable camera, developer and projector which used 35 mmm film. The brothers screened the first cinematic experience in 1895 in Paris: a film of workers leaving the Lumière factory and a train arriving at a station.

This year’s festival included 122 screening, 26 student sessions (where David Cronenberg met with students at the University of Theatre and Film and reportedly revealed aspects of his creative process), six roundtables and four ciné-concerts with live music.

With films shown across a range of venues in Budapest – including a huge open-air cinema in beautiful Szent István square using the basilica as a backdrop – we’re already counting down for the next one in 2026.

Sources & further information

NFI

Deccan Herald

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Writer, Novelist and Screenwriter: Hungary’s László Krasznahorkai Wins the 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature

On 9th October 2025, the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to László Krasznahorkai, praising “his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.”

László Krasznahorkai. Photo via Wikipedia.

The Swedish Academy went on to say in a statement that, “Laszlo Krasznahorkai is a great epic writer in the Central European tradition that extends through Kafka to Thomas Bernhard and is characterised by absurdism and grotesque excess."

The 71-year-old writer of nine novels as well as many short stories, essays and screenplays is renowned for not only his pessimistic – although at times darkly humorous – work, but also his never-ending sentences. His 400-page novel of 2022, “Herscht 07769”, is allegedly written in a single sentence (we haven’t read that one yet, so are unable to confirm). The words that typically characterize Krasznahorkai’s work: dystopian and surreal. Susan Sonntag labelled the author “the master of apocalypse.” His novels move with slow deliberation, often portraying moments when societies are on the brink of collapse.

Krasznahorkai’s stories capture the absurdity of the world we live in; it should come as no surprise then that the author is deeply influenced by Kafka, and in particular “The Castle”. In 2013 Krasznahorkai told the White Review, "When I am not reading Kafka, I am thinking about Kafka. When I am not thinking about Kafka, I miss thinking about him." While speaking to Swedish Radio, he also revealed that, as a novelist, “bitterness” was his greatest inspiration.

Published in 1985, Krasznahorkai’s first novel “Sátántangó” is set in a remote rural area of Hungary where a group of poverty-stricken residents live on an abandoned collective farm. The author admitted that he had only planned on writing this one book. However, upon re-reading it, he decided to start another in the hope of improving, adding, "My life is a permanent correction". Wise words we should all live by.

Film poster via Wikipedia.

This first novel was turned into a film in 1994 by legendary Hungarian film director Béla Tarr, with Krasznahorkai writing the screenplay of the seven-hour film. He also adapted his second novel into a screenplay, “The Melancholy of Resistance” for the director, which was released as WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES (2000). Frequent collaborators – Tarr has only made films from screenplays written by Krasznahorkai – the two men co-wrote several films  together including DAMNATION (1988), THE MAN FROM LONDON (2007) and THE TURIN HORSE (2011).

Born and bred in the small town of Gyula in south-east Hungary near the Romanian border, Krasznahorkai studied in Szeged and Budapest before spending a year in West Berlin in 1987 as part of a student exchange program. The experiences of living under communism and the ensuing change of regime in 1989 clearly impacted him deeply. Frequently going back and forth to reside in either Germany or Hungary, the writer has also travelled widely through Europe and the United States. Spending significant periods of time in China and Japan has also informed his work.

Krasznahorkai’s latest novel was released in 2024, ”Zsomle is Waiting”. Also set in rural Hungary, it’s a tale about 91-year-old Uncle Józsi Kada, a retired electrician and descendant of King Béla IV and Genghis Khan. Although he could lay claim to the Hungarian throne, he goes to great lengths to disappear – until he’s found by his faithful followers. We’ve put it on our TBR pile of books!

Sources and further information:

White Review 

Wikipedia

Euronews

Financial Times

Reuters

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Game of Throne’s Star Filming in Budapest

Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, utterer of the famous line, “Winter is coming,” is the latest in a line of famous faces gracing the streets of Budapest over the last few months.

Kit Harington. Picture via Wikipedia

According to Daily News Hungary, Harington was spotted at a sandwich shop, Sarki Fűszeres, tucked away on Pozsonyi út near Szent István Park in the thirteenth district. The actor is in Budapest filming the BBC One drama based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities.

He’s not the only famous face getting out and about in the city. Other stars such as Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, his squeeze Kyle Jenner, and Anya Taylor-Joy have also been seen in various restaurants, shops and cafés casually living their lives in Budapest due to the many major international TV and film productions that get to call the capital home for a few months.

Who’ll be spotted next?

Sources and further information:

The Cinemaholic

 Daily News Hungary

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Acclaimed Hungarian-American Screenwriter Lands $4 Million Amazon Script Deal

In what is being touted as the most lucrative spec deal of the year, Joe Eszterhas, legendary screenwriter of hit films from the 1980s and 1990s, has been asked to pen a reboot of his now iconic erotic thriller, Basic Instinct (1992).

Joe Eszterhas. Photo via Wikipedia.

In a story first reported by The Wrap, it’s been revealed that Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists and producer Scott Stuber have acquired the rights to the film, Basic Instinct, one of the big hits of the 90s. Joe Eszterhas, writer of the original who will also write the new film, is reported as saying that the reboot will be “…. about serial killers. It’s about copycats. There’s a demonic element to it that I think will be spooky.”

According to the interview in The Wrap, it seems Eszterhas is hoping that Sharon Stone might co-star in the new film. If she did, she’d be reprising her role of Catherine Tramell, a crime novelist and serial killer who, in the original film, has an affair with the detective (played by Michael Douglas) investigating a brutal murder.

Eszterhas is being paid the eyewatering sum of $2 million to write the script and will receive a total of $4 million should the project go into production. In a wry acknowledgment of his age–Eszterhas is 80–he explained that he’ll be leaning heavily on his “writing partner”. This “twisted little man” (essentially his alter-ego) remains stagnant at 29 years of age and, according to Eszterhas, is sure to provide a “wild and orgasmic ride”.

A journalist-turned-screenwriter, Eszterhas was born in Hungary in 1944 and moved in 1950 to Cleveland, Ohio where his family struggled to make ends meet. Growing up with a self-described, "chip on his shoulder”, Eszterhas admits that it was his father who convinced him to get into reading rather than continue brawling in the back streets of Cleveland. After university, Eszterhas became a journalist, writing for newspapers and Rolling Stone Magazine before publishing a novel. Encouraged by a producer to try his hand at scripts, Eszterhas was, by the early 90s, the highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood.

Eszterhas does not shy away from controversial themes. Riding a wave of success in the 80s and 90s, he was behind other hits such as Flashdance (which he co-wrote), Jagged Edge and Showgirls. In 2004 he published a memoir detailing his years in Tinseltown, Hollywood Animal (2004). He also wrote a feature that was partly filmed in Budapest, Music Box (1989), about a Hungarian immigrant accused of committing war crimes during WWII who is defended by his lawyer-daughter. The film contains a twist at the end, but perhaps the greatest twist was that ten years after writing the film, Eszterhas made a shocking discovery about his own father and the role he played during WWII.

Having seen a live interview with Joe Eszterhas when he was in Budapest some ten years ago, we can confirm that the man is certainly a larger-than-life character. We’re curious to see what he makes of the Basic Instinct reboot.

Sources & further information

The Wrap

 Deadline

BBJ

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Filmed in Hungary: Newly Released TV Series 2025

Budapest has long been favoured by international productions as a filming location, repeatedly proving its ability to stand in for a range of places. In these newly released (or soon to be) TV shows, we’ll be able to watch parts of our favourite city morph into Italy, a town in the U.K. and Vienna.

Via Wikipedia.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox (Hulu & Disney+)

This true-crime limited series dramatizes the story of Amanda Knox, the woman who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Italy in 2007. Before being acquitted in 2011, Knox (along with her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito) spent four years in prison. The show delves into the emotional toll the media frenzy of the time took on Knox and her family while they relentlessly struggled for justice.

Filming for the series took place in Italy, Hungary and British Columbia. Scenes involving the police station and prison were filmed in Budapest, as the city became the second base for the production. Well-known as being a major filming hub in Europe, Budapest made sense as a filming location to shoot interior scenes and to stand in as a replacement for places that could not be shot in Italy.

Via Imdb.

The Rumour (Channel 5)

Five-part crime thriller THE RUMOUR has recently been broadcast on channel 5 in the U.K. Based on a bestselling novel written by Lesley Kara, the series revolves around a single mother who moves to the quiet town of Flinstead. When rumour gets out about a child killer who might be living in the area, fear begins to impact the lives of people in the town and things quickly unravel from there.

Although this show is set in a small British (fictional) town, it was primarily filmed in Hungary in late 2024. Again, demonstrating its chameleon-like ability, Budapest took up the challenge by supplying homes, courtyards and forests that could convincingly pass as a small-town in Sussex. Popular down-town establishment Gerlóczy Kávéház was also used by the production, standing in as a local café. It was reported that director Richard Clark was able to efficiently solve cost and logistical issues by filming in Budapest, commenting in the TV Guide that, 

 “The Hungarian crew were outstanding. We had one of the best crews I’ve ever worked with in terms of temperament and efficiency. They were an absolute joy. A lot of them had just come off big, big Hollywood feature films. They are very, very skilled.”

Clark also commended the art department, mentioning that they did an “astonishing job” on a very tight budget.

Image via Sky Group.

 Amadeus (Sky TV)

You remember the legendary film, now you’ll be able to rewatch the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through this limited, five-part series that will reportedly be released sometime before the end of the year. The story is based on Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage play which examines the ups and downs of one of the world’s greatest composers. 

First look images from the production have recently been released showing Will Sharpe in the title role and Paul Bettany as his secret nemesis, Antonio Salieri. No surprises that the show was filmed in Budapest; standing in for 18th century Vienna is at this point child’s play for the city.

We can’t wait to binge-watch this series and more while playing the game that is now second nature to local viewers: where in Hungary was this filmed?

 Sources & further information

Soap Central

The Cinemaholic

 High on Film

 TV Guide 

Televisual

The Hollywood Reporter

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.  

Hungary Shines at Venice Film Festival: A Big Year for Hungarian Cinema

Hungary arrived at the Venice Film Festival with not one but two films in competition for the Golden Lion, claiming some well-deserved international limelight on the Lido.

Picture via Imdb

It’s been over half a century since two Hungarian films ran side by side in Venice’s main competition. This year, László Nemes’s ORPHAN (Árva) and Ildikó Enyedi’s SILENT FRIEND did just that.

Nemes, already acclaimed for his Oscar-winning film SON OF SAUL, returned with ORPHAN, a Hungarian-British-French-German co-production. Shot on 35mm film in Hungary, it tells the story of a boy navigating the post-1956-revolution era in Budapest while searching for his father.

Enyedi is an Oscar-nominated director who won the Golden Bear at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival for ON BODY & SOUL. Her newest film, SILENT FRIEND, is a poetic tale playing across three timelines about the relationship between humans and plants. The feature, starring an international cast (Léa Seydoux, Tony Leung, and Luna Wedler), captivated critics and audiences alike in Venice. The film won not only the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Wedler but also secured five major collateral prizes, including the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film in Competition and the Green Drop Award.

Shooting on 35mm in Hungary: A Growing Trend

Both Hungarian competition films share another connection: they were shot on film and developed at the NFI Filmlab in Budapest. The NFI Filmlab, part of the National Film Institute Hungary, is one of the very few facilities worldwide still offering analogue film processing services — from 16mm, 35mm, and 65mm film development to positive printing and efilm cutting.

With over 60 years of expertise, this Budapest-based facility has become the most experienced film laboratory in Central Europe. With analogue making a come-back, international productions such as THE BRUTALIST continue to rely on the Filmlab’s unique services.

Ildikó Enyedi and the Philosophy Behind Silent Friend

In an interview with Marta Balaga for Variety, Enyedi explained her fascination with plant communication — an idea rooted in the “flower power” era of the 1970s and further explored in SILENT FRIEND. The film spans 1908, 1972, and 2020 at a German university, weaving together stories of a pioneering student, a love-struck caretaker, and a neuroscientist (Tony Leung) obsessed with a mysterious ginkgo tree.

For Enyedi, the film is not an overt ecological statement but rather an invitation to rethink how we perceive the world around us. “Many changes in our life could happen effortlessly if we just shifted our point of view a little,” she says.

Sources & further information

Variety

Screen Daily

Budapest Reporter

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

10 Films and TV Series Filming in Hungary 2025

Hungary has long been considered one of the top filming destinations in Europe for international productions. As summer draws to a close, we’ve scoured industry news to get more details on some of the major international films and TV series filmed in Hungary so far this year and when we can expect to see them released.

Stock Image.

It’s been a busy, busy year for Hungary. We’ve taken stock of 2025 to bring you up to date on the wide range of TV and feature projects that have called Hungary home (at least for a little while) while being filming here in 2025.

THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN

The year kicked off with acclaimed Swedish director Ruben Östlund arriving in Budapest with a decommissioned (and deconstructed) Boeing 747 which became the set for his newest feature. A social satire, the film follows the fate of bored passengers on a long-haul flight from London to Sydney devoid of functioning screens to keep them occupied.  The film, starring Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl, is slated for release in 2026, potentially in time for the Cannes Film Festival.

MATCHBOX

No doubt hoping to replicate the success of the Barbie film, this action-adventure feature is based on the Matchbox toy brand and follows the story of a former soldier and his childhood mates who rediscover their friendship while on a high-stakes adventure trying to clear their names.  Directed by Sam Hargrave and filmed partly in Hungary in the first part of the year, the film stars John Cena, Jessica Biel, Corey Stoll, Danai Gurira, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro. Release is expected next year.

ALPHA GANG 

Another heady mix of big-name actors descended on Hungary earlier this year for the filming of this sci-fi comedy. The film, by writer-director duo Nathan and David Zellner, is about alien beings attacking Earth but then taking pity on humanity. It stars Cate Blanchett, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, and Riley Keough. Here’s hoping that if we ever do face such a situation, life will imitate art and we’ll be spared. The film is reportedly currently in post-production.

PONIES

We’ve written before about how apt Hungary is location-wise to host any Cold War spy story. So, it’s no surprise that this espionage-thriller TV series, set in Moscow of the 1970s, found a home filming here in Budapest. Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson star, playing two secretaries at the American embassy who become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed. Filming wrapped in the middle of summer. An official release date has not yet been announced.

DUNE: PART THREE

Hungary has attracted further A-list talent thanks to the filming of DUNE: Part Three since July 2025. There have been frequent sightings of stars such as Zendaya and Anya Taylor-Joy on the streets of Budapest shopping or having a meal. Meanwhile, Jason Momoa took advantage of his time in the city by staging a concert with his band Öof Tatata at popular downtown nightspot, Aquarium Klub. Timothee Chalamet was also spotted casually having coffee with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner in a café. The film is scheduled for release December 18th, 2026.

Stock Image.

BRIDES

It’s also been reported that the psychological horror feature BRIDES starring Olivia Cooke is also filming in Hungary through the summer. Written and directed by Chloe Okuno, the script apparently draws some of its inspiration from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Set in the 1960s, the story involves a woman recovering from a nervous breakdown in a remote part of Italy with her husband. Attracting the attention of the mysterious villa owner where they are staying, she introduces her feminist ways to his other vampire brides. No release date has been announced yet.

3 BODY PROBLEM

Netflix has recently confirmed that season two of the sci-fi series 3 BODY PROBLEM is currently filming in Hungary with season three also planned to shoot here. This follows the successful debut of the first season in 2024. Based on the novels by Cixin Liu, the plot follows an astrophysicist’s decision to contact an alien civilization in 1960s China which triggers an existential threat to Earth in the present day. Season two is expected to hit our screens sometime in 2026.

12/12/12

This cat and mouse heist drama, a co-production between Skydance Television and Anonymous Content, is reported to be currently filming in Budapest. The story runs across three intertwined timelines, incorporating the 12 months’ planning in the run-up to the heist, the 12 hours of the actual heist, and the 12 days that follow (hence the title of the series). Set against a backdrop of several European locations, the series is set to be released on Apple TV+ sometime in 2026.

BILLION DOLLAR SPY

More Cold War espionage–this one is a thriller starring Russell Crowe and has also been reportedly filming in Budapest across the summer months. Directed by BAFTA-winner Amma Asante, the feature is based on the 2015 non-fiction book of the same name by David E. Hoffman which chronicles the story of Adolf Tolkachev, one of the CIA’s most valuable Soviet assets of the era (Tolkachev passed thousands of pages of top-secret information to the U.S.). No confirmation as yet on a release date.

TURNCOAT

Also reportedly filming in Budapest since August 2025 is this psychological thriller directed by Christian Pichler and written by Renee L. Logan. Revolving around a psychotic mastermind who manipulates a group of interconnected strangers with deadly consequences, the film is slated for release in 2026.

What’s filming in Budapest next? We’ll be monitoring the news for reports on what’s coming to film in Hungary for the last quarter of 2025. Stay tuned!

Sources & further information

Budapest Reporter

Hungary Today

Film New Europe

 Screen Daily

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Hungarian Film Talent on Display at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

The Sarajevo Film Festival 2025 is currently underway, showcasing the best of regional and world cinema, including several Hungarian films that are in competition.

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

Founded in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, the festival has grown into one of the largest film festivals in Southeast Europe and one of the most prestigious in Europe. Each year, it attracts more than 100,000 visitors and some of the biggest names in international cinema.

Bálint Kenyeres Competes with THE SPECTACLE

This year features Hungarian filmmakers with five films competing across categories, including a short film from Bálint Kenyeres, THE SPECTACLE. Flatpack Films’ very own Zita Kisgergely is one of the co-producers of the film.  

A Hungarian-French co-production, the story follows a Roma boy with a unique talent who is suddenly thrust into the public eye after a television crew come to film him. Touching upon themes of identity and media influence, Kenyeres has been open about the origins of the short film and explained that the idea came to him in a dream. Upon waking, he felt compelled to turn it into a short film. You can read more about the film and its production here.

Hungarian writer & director, Bálint Kenyeres

Hungarian Films Across All Sections

Feature Competition: The world premiere of Renátó Olasz’s debut feature MINDEN CSILLAG (ALL THE STARS) tells the story of two siblings returning from Budapest to their hometown for Christmas, only to find that nothing is as they remember.

Documentary Competition: Katalin Bársony’s SUNO DIKHLEM, a Belgian-Hungarian co-production, portrays the struggle of a Kosovar Roma boy facing deportation from Germany.

Student Films: Two young Hungarian talents join the lineup. Mirjana Balogh’s WISH YOU WERE EAR, an animated short about how relationships shape identity, and Jakob Ladányi Jancsó’s LIVING STONES, set in an isolated rehabilitation facility. Both submissions add fresh voices to the festival.

The 31st Sarajevo Film Festival

The festival this year opened with the world premiere of THE PAVILION. The film is a Bosnian black comedy from Dino Mustafić, who, as well as being the former artistic director of drama at the National Theatre Sarajevo, has extensive experience directing theatre and documentaries. The feature, written by Viktor Ivančić, follows a group of poorly treated elderly residents of a retirement home who exact revenge on their abusers by staging an armed rebellion.

In other news from the festival, veteran Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård has received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo. It was presented to the actor by Mirsad Purivatra, founder of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

The festival runs from August 15th to August 22nd

Sources & further information:

Sarajevo Film Festival

Variety

Budapest Reporter

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Location Scout in Budapest: Parisi Udvar

A Lavishly ornate building built at the beginning of the 1900s that housed shops, bank offices and apartments, fell into disrepair during the Communist years but regained its former glory after extensive restoration work in 2019.

Parisi Udvar

The building was constructed on the site of a former department store, Brudern House, one of the first of its kind in Hungary. The shopping corridor there had been designed on the model of the Passage des Panoramas in Paris, which is why people began to refer to it colloquially as the “Parisian House”. After the Brudern House was demolished at the turn of the 20th Century, the land was bought by the inner city’s savings bank (Belvárosi Takarékpénztár) in 1906 in order to build and establish a new HQ there.

A Brief History

Nestled in the heart of downtown Budapest and dripping in Gothic-inspired detail, Parisi Udvar, or "Paris Courtyard", finished construction in 1913. Featuring an intricate glass ceilings and dome, the ground-floor of the building was originally designed to function as a shopping arcade with open pedestrian entrances at either side, reflecting the elegance of Parisian shopping arcades.

With its tiled façade, ornate mosaics and gargoyles, this eclectic building is a fusion of Gothic and Moorish-elements. It’s no surprise that it was designed by German-born architect Henrik Schmahl, the man behind the similarly remarkable Uránia Cinema in Budapest’s 7th district. We’ve written about the Urania before, which shares this distinctive Moorish ornamental architectural style with the Parisi Udvar.

Urania Cinema. Picture from Wikipedia.

Falling into disrepair after the Second World War and during Hungary’s Communist era, the building was patched up from time-to-time. However, it wasn’t until it was purchased by the Mellow Mood Group of investors in 2014 that the site began to be lovingly restored to its former glory using high-quality, appropriate materials and an extensive team of craftsmen. The renovations, concluded in 2019, reportedly cost 12 billion HUF (52 million euro in today’s terms), including the purchase price of the building.

Parisi Udvar now functions as a five star hotel, part of the Unbound Collection of the Hyatt group.

Párisi Udvar in Films

Budapest is already well-established in the film world for its versatility and ability to stand in for diverse locations. It’s doubled for Berlin, Munich, Moscow, Paris and even cities in the U.K. and U.S. Before its restoration, Parisi Udvar also featured in the movie series UNDERWORLD (2003) about vampires (which was visually heavy on the Gothic elements), as well as the film, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (2011), an espionage thriller set during the Cold War.

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Venice Film Festival 2025: Spotlight on Hungarian Talent

The 82nd Venice Film Festival has announced an impressive lineup of new features from several big-name directors, including two veterans from Hungary: Ildikó Enyedi and László Nemes.

One of the world’s oldest film festivals, and one of the “Big Five” worldwide (the others being Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance), the 82nd Venice Film Festival will run from August 27 to September 9, 2025, debuting exciting new features from world-renowned directors. Highlights include Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN, Yorgos Lanthimos’ BUGONIA with Emma Stone, Luca Guadagnino’s AFTER THE HUNT, Kathryn Bigelow’s A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE, Jim Jarmusch’s FATHER MOTHER SISTER with Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver and Charlotte Rampling, and Park Chan-wook’s NO OTHER CHOICE.

Additionally, esteemed Hungarian directors Ildikó Enyedi and László Nemes also have films screening in the main competition: Enyedi's SILENT FRIEND is a collaboration between Germany, France, and Hungary, while Nemes' ORPHAN is a joint effort between Hungary, the UK, Germany, and France. 

Ildikó Enyedi

Ildikó Enyedi, celebrated for her thought-provoking and visually stunning films, is best known for her 2017 feature ON BODY AND SOUL which tells the story of a neurodivergent woman who finds love and connection through a shared dream with a colleague at an abattoir. The film won the Golden Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Her 2021 film, THE STORY OF MY WIFE, is based on a novel by Milán Füst and follows a sea captain who becomes obsessed with his spouse despite his indifferent attitude towards marriage.

Born in 1955, Enyedi studied at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest after earning a B.A. in Economics. She won the Golden Camera award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival for her film MY 20th CENTURY and received her doctorate from the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest in 2011.

Her sensitive and philosophical exploration of the human condition and our place in the world continues with her new feature to be presented in Venice, SILENT FRIEND. The story spans across three time periods in the 20th and 21st centuries, following the lives of individuals who are drawn to a tree located in a botanical garden in Marburg, Germany.

László Nemes

László Nemes, born Nemes Jeles László in 1977, is a Hungarian filmmaker and screenwriter who spent his formative teenage years in Paris. After studying History, International Relations and Screenwriting, Nemes worked as an Assistant Director in Hungary and France for various shorts and features, and for two years was Béla Tarr’s assistant while filming THE MAN FROM LONDON.

His first feature film, SON OF SAUL, premiered in main competition at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where it received the Grand Prix. The feature, which was also the second Hungarian film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, is the harrowing account of Saul, a Jewish prisoner working at an Auschwitz crematorium, determined to give a deceased young boy a proper Jewish burial. Nemes is also the first Hungarian director to have secured a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

His second feature, SUNSET, is a period piece about a young woman who uncovers family secrets while trying to secure work at an illustrious hat company in Budapest during the last days of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1913.

Nemes’ third feature to be unveiled in Venice, ORPHAN, is also an historical drama, set in the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The story centres on a 12-year-old boy who is confronted by the truth of an idolized father he thought was dead.

Romanian director Cristian Mungiu will serve on the Competition Jury, led by Alexander Payne.

Here is the Venice Film Festival lineup for 2025:

In Competition

The Wizard of the Kremlin, dir. Olivier Assayas (France)
Jay Kelly, dir. Noah Baumbach (USA, UK, Italy)
The Voice of Hind Rajab, dir. Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia, France)
A House of Dynamite, dir. Kathryn Bigelow (USA)
Sun Rises on Us All, dir. Cai Shangjun (China)
Frankenstein, dir. Guillermo Del Toro (USA)
Elisa, dir. Leonardo Di Costanzo (Italy, Switzerland)
À pied d’œuvre, dir. Valérie Donzelli (France)
Silent Friend, dir. Ildikó Enyedi (Germany, France, Hungary)
The Testament of Ann Lee, dir. Mona Fastvold (UK)
Father Mother Sister Brother, dir. Jim Jarmusch (USA, Ireland, France)
Bugonia, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (United Kingdom)
Duse, dir. Pietro Marcello (Italy)
Un film fatto per Bene, dir. Franco Maresco (Italy)
Orphan, dir. László Nemes (Hungary, United Kingdom, Germany, France)
The Stranger, dir. François Ozon (France)
No Other Choice, dir. Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
Sotto le nuvole, dir. Gianfranco Rosi (Italy)
The Smashing Machine, dir. Benny Safdie (Canada, USA, Japan)
Girl, dir. Shu Qi (Taipei)
La Grazia, dir. Paolo Sorrentino (Italy)

Sources & further information:

82nd Venice Film Festival: Full list of films in competition.

Film New Europe

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.

THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and MATCHBOX: Both Filmed in Budapest

News from two high-profile (and very different) films that wrapped production in Budapest over the last few months: Ruben Östlund’s THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and the MATCHBOX film from director Sam Hargrave.

Parliament in Budapest.

The Entertainment System is Down

As reported by Screen Daily, Östlund was recently in Croatia participating in Slano Film Days while he edited his most recent film on his laptop and his family enjoyed some beach time.

The celebrated Swedish director’s second English language film shot in Budapest over 70 days at the beginning of the year. The film’s story takes place almost exclusively on a long-haul flight where the passengers are confronted with in-flight screens that stop working. To ensure the utmost authenticity, Östlund and his producers (Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober) purchased a decommissioned Boeing 747 which they dismantled and shipped to Budapest where it was reassembled into a working set.

The film stars include Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Bruhl, Nicholas Braun, Tobias Menzies and Julie Delpy, as well as a cast of 150 extras. Despite calling it a “tough shoot” due to the single set and sheer numbers of extras involved in every shot, Östlund added that, “Technically and production-wise, everything worked very well”. 

To overcome the difficulty of filming inside the tight quarters of an airplane, Östlund used what he referred to as a "robot"—a programmable mechanical arm operated with a PlayStation controller. This device could extend into cramped areas where it would be impossible for both a camera and its operator to both fit .

Although Östlund had used similar tech in the past, this project marked a significant expansion in its application. “They’re now compact enough to work in very tight spots,” he said. Working alongside cinematographer Fredrik Wenzel, he helped program the device to handle complex shots. “It was a huge asset,” he noted.

Known for his Palme d’Or-winning films The Square and Triangle of Sadness, Östlund is aiming to premiere The Entertainment System Is Down as his sixth out of seven features at Cannes. He also repeated his goal of sparking “the biggest walkout in the history of the Cannes Film Festival,” referencing a single-take sequence where a young girl is forced to go 15 minutes without her family’s iPad.

Matchbox

Meanwhile, in an interview with Collider, John Cena (star of the upcoming Matchbox feature that also filmed partly in Budapest), has called the movie “kick-ass” and commended the storytelling chops of director Sam Hargrave. The actor explained, “What really stood out to me about Matchbox is that Sam gets to show more of his storytelling skills.”

Matchbox is the first time Cena has worked with Hargrave, who’s known for his stunt coordination work on major franchises like Marvel, The Hunger Games, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Cena spoke highly of the experience, both on a personal and professional level.

“The biggest thing I took from working on this film is that I gained a friend and developed huge respect for Sam Hargrave,” he said. “He’s someone I look up to—he brings out the best in everyone, every single day. I admire his drive and work ethic. After seeing how dedicated he is, it makes sense why his films look the way they do. I’m really hoping we get to team up again. Matchbox is a powerhouse of a movie, and Sam really had the chance to dig deeper into storytelling, not just focus on jaw-dropping stunts.”

The cast joining Cena includes Jessica Biel, Corey Stoll, Danai Gurira, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro. The screenplay was written by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper—the latter also working on a future Star Wars project.

Although an official release date hasn’t been announced, Matchbox is currently in post-production.

Sources & further information

Screen Daily

Collider

Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.