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