‘Poor Things’ Production Hub Hungary ‘Weathers the Storm’ of Hollywood Strikes
variety.comChristopher Vourlias The question of whether Hollywood stars will light up the Lido this week has roiled the film industry in the run-up to the Venice Film Festival. “Poor Things” lead actress Emma Stone was among the marquee names that were holding out for a SAG-AFTRA exemption allowing her to promote the Frankenstein-inspired period film from Oscar nominee Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Favourite”), which bowed in competition Friday to a lengthy standing ovation and rave reviews.
Such guild-negotiated workarounds have offered a lifeline to Budapest, where the Victorian-era drama was filmed, with industry insiders insisting that the ongoing Hollywood strikes are yet to put a noticeable damper on the booming production hub. “We’ve been affected, but the town continues to have activity,” says Adam Goodman of Mid Atlantic Films, which is currently servicing Lionsgate’s “The Killer’s Game,” starring Dave Bautista and Ben Kingsley.
The action-comedy is among a host of independent productions in Budapest that received a SAG-AFTRA waiver to shoot during the strike, including A24’s “Death of a Unicorn,” starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, and “Dust Bunny,” starring Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver.
Meanwhile, British TV productions, such as Peacock and Sky’s spy series “The Day of the Jackal,” starring Eddie Redmayne, which primarily rely on members of the U.K.’s Equity actors union, have brought a steady flow of business to Budapest.
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