How Hungary’s Versatile Locations, World-Class Artisans and 30% Tax Incentive Brought ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘Maria,’ ‘Dune 2’ and Other Oscar Contenders to Life
variety.comChristopher Vourlias The hero of Brady Corbet’s Oscar contender “The Brutalist”— the fictional, Hungarian-born Jewish architect László Toth — journeys from Budapest to the U.S.
to rebuild his life after fleeing a concentration camp and the ravages of post-war Europe. But while Toth’s travels cut across a wide swath of the mid-century world, Corbet’s production had a much smaller footprint: Most of the film — including its depiction of 1950s American suburbia — was shot in Budapest. “It was a huge challenge,” admits Viktoria Petrányi, of the film’s Hungarian co-producer, Proton Cinema.
But Corbet, production designer Judy Becker and a team of Hungarian crew proved “extremely intelligent about choosing locations” while “creating the atmosphere of ’50s U.S.
from tiny fractions of Hungarian reality.” Hungary is enjoying a moment this awards season, with a handful of Oscar hopefuls — including “The Brutalist,” Pablo Larraín’s “Maria” and Dennis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” — making use of the country’s abundant soundstages, skilled below-the-line talent and 30% tax incentive to dramatic effect on the big screen.
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