Greatest movies filmed in Budapest
Posted by Ágnes Taraszovics · May 1, 2015

Budapest, although it’s far away from Hollywood, it’s indeed a very popular filming location of the super-productions. There is a Hollywood filming almost every year, thanks to the beautiful landscapes and buildings, the significant tax benefits and a skilled team of professionals.

Since the 1990s (and the regime change) Budapest hosted many international film productions. The reasons for this, for example, that in Hungary the costs are relatively low (e.g the wages are much lower than in any other western European countries), and on the other hand, Budapest has preserved its varied picture: its buildings from different eras are suitable to be in any major European cities.

“Evita” was filmed here in 1996, which has become one of the superproductions of the era - and Madonna's old dream has been realized as well. Budapest's Andrássy Avenue, Keleti Railway Station, Szabadság Square and the Museum of Ethnography also appeared as locations in Argentina. In 1999 “Sunshine” was filmed here, directed by the Oscar winner Hungarian director István Szabó, starring Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Jennifer Ehle. Now we present another five films from the new millennium shot in Budapest.

I Spy

Up until now, no truly large-scale international productions showed Budapest as itself, as it is usually replaced another European metropolis. In I Spy this has changed: Budapest appears as the capital of Hungary. The main film locations were in and around the Castle, the Gellért Square, the Chain Bridge, the Liberty Bridge and the Danube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuySEDN-TOg

Underworld

Underworld (the film that shows vampires’ and werewolves’ ancient fight in the modern times, far before Twilight) was shot in fall of 2002, the sequel (Underworld: Evolution) made in late 2004, mostly in Budapest. In addition to the Mafilm studio, mostly the subway tunnels and subways of Budapest received a major role due to the story, but Gozsdu courtyard, one favorite spot of the foreign filmmakers also appears in a few scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHxESgl9qA

Munich

In summer 2005, the people of Budapest experienced, what a large-scale film shooting means, when the whole Andrássy Avenue had been closed for Steven Spielberg's movie. ‘Munich’ took place in many parts of the world, and Budapest “played” many of these: the surrounding of the Opera House was Rome and Paris, the Marriott Hotel showed us as London and Puskás stadium as Munich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feIjYUEWVxk

Bel Ami

The film made in 2012 is based on the same titled novel by Guy de Maupassant and the role plays are played by Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman. The shooting began in London February 2010 led by director of photography Hagen Bogdanski, then they came to Budapest, where filmed behind the National Museum, on Andrássy Avenue and in the Basilica as well. Speaking of which: you can imagine, what madness was here, in the middle of the Twilight era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlFlZVLG46c

A Good Day to Die Hard

During the filming of the fifth part of Die Hard-series, Bruce Willis and his family (the new one, with Emma Hemming and their daughter Mabel Ray Willis) lived in Budapest for more than 3 month. And they were not wasting their time and the opportunity: basically the whole downtown region of Budapest appears in the film, even if it plays Moscow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_0K7ZfU2e0

+1 World War Z

Although it’s not the best film of Brad’s career, the Jolie-Pitt family conquered the Hungarian capital. Despite the fact that the scenes shot here has been cut out from the final version, their time here stays memorable for all of us: they went to the playground with their kids, walked hand in hand, had romantic dinners, and Angelina has also showed up in Mammut, a big mall of Buda side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwTxRuq-uk

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