Woody Allen has been on an extensive European run of late with his three picture deal with Spanish financiers MediaPro taking him to the cities of Barcelona (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona“), London (“You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger“) and soon Paris (“Midnight In Paris“) but it now looks like the New York icon isn’t coming home just yet with the city of Rome being eyed for his next film.
ScreenDaily first reported that the Italian capital had “emerged as the probable next stop” for Allen with the director himself later confirming to La Repubblica that, while he was still only at the scripting stage, Rome was definitely in his sights.
“Don’t ask me about the script or the cast, I’m superstitious. I’m still at the screenplay stage, it would be silly to say more,” Allen told La Repubblica [via AFP]. “I love these sophisticated cities. It’s fantastic to have the possibility to work there, like when I shot ‘Manhattan’ in New York, ‘Match Point’ in London and ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ in Barcelona. Each time, it’s like a declaration of love for certain places. I project onto the big screen my feelings for places which count a lot in my life. I hope to do the same thing with Rome.”
Not much had been heard about Allen’s follow-up to “Midnight In Paris” and — despite Rio De Janiero being rumored as a potential location — we can only imagine continuing the European-based filming is a bit easier on the wallet despite the fact it’ll continue to keep him away from his city of choice and longtime muse. As Allen had previously lamented the rising costs of filming in his native New York, or anywhere in the States for that matter, have kept him abroad with his last American-set films being 2009’s “Whatever Works” and 2004’s “Melinda & Melinda.”
Regardless of what you might think of Allen’s recent efforts, it’s impossible to deny they are gorgeously lensed and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have folks like Darius Khondji, Vilmos Zsigmond and Javier Aguirresarobe helping out behind the camera. The helmer’s next effort “Midnight In Paris” will fittingly open this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is one we’re actually pretty excited for predominantly due to it’s illustrious cast which boasts the likes of Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Lea Seydoux, Tom Hiddleston, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates and even French first lady Carla Bruni. It’ll hit theaters later this year courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
