In 2005 Woody Allen was in a bit of professional trouble. His last three films — Melinda & Melinda, Anything Else, and Hollywood Ending — had gotten mediocre-to-scathing reviews and each grossed less than $5 million at the U.S. box office, which is low even for Allen. With his stock falling rapidly in the U.S., Allen turned to foreign funding which allowed him to shoot his movies across Europe. What transpired afterwards is one of the most remarkable comebacks in film history. In a few short years Allen produced three of his highest grossing and critically acclaimed films — Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Midnight In Paris — with Midnight nabbing Allen his fourth Oscar.
After shooting in London, Spain, Paris, and Rome, it was assumed that Allen would continue his European tour in his next film, with early reports suggesting it would shoot in Germany or Copenhagen. But Variety has revealed that Allen will shoot his next film in the U.S. — San Francisco to be exact — with “a tiny bit” shot in his hometown, New York City. Although Allen has professed a distaste for California in some of his previous films — particularly Annie Hall — I imagine the culture of San Francisco would be more comfortable for Allen than Los Angeles. Seems like with his increased grosses — Midnight is his highest grossing film, and Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona are in his top ten — and Oscar success, Allen’s stock is rising again in the U.S. Not bad for a 76 year-old.
As usual, there’s no word on anything else to do with the film although Allen hopes to cast Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper in the as-yet-untitled film.
Allen’s next, To Rome With Love, opens in June and Allen will then star as a pimp in John Turturro‘s Fading Gigolo, which is bound to be all kinds of fun.
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