In one of the most ambitious scenes in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis”, the musical point comes to life with a greatness that only a large orchestra can give. What few viewers know is that this soundtrack was not recorded in Los Angeles or London, but in Budapest.
When Hollywood struggles with escalating production costs, labor disputes and a competitive global market, studios are increasingly moving their projects abroad. In Los Angeles, once the heart of film Production, film on site fell by 22.4% during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to Filmla. It is the lowest as it has been in three decades. One reason? Enter Hungary as one of the most important players when it comes to (cheaper) production sites.
Talk to IndieWire, Tamás Pásztor, head of Astra Filmland Studio Space in Mogyoród, reminded that “two of the major Hollywood studios, Paramount Pictures and Fox, were founded by Hungarians.”
Despite this heritage, Hungary spent much of the 1900s without a leading role in the industry. But over the past 20 years, the country has developed from just another movie site in Europe to becoming a cinematic hub – with infrastructure, tax incentive systems and labor to support it as “Hollywood of the Danube.”
Even when the Hungarian government is facing international criticism for its latest constitutional amendment that prohibits LGBTQ+ public events, including Pride Parades, Hollywood productions continues to be flocking to the country. As the story tells us – Do you remember Georgia? -Theallure of financial incentives and established infrastructure often considers political problems for studios that seek cost -effective places.
The origin of Hungary’s Film Boom
Two decades ago, Hungary’s film industry was in its childhood and lacked resources to attract large international productions. It was when Tamás Cutak, one of the senses behind the sector’s growth and head of the film counseling group Abacus consultant, thought of a strategy that would change the landscape.
“Then my idea was that it was not meaningful to give more money to artists or directors without developing the industry behind them. I proposed a system of two pillars: state subsidies for national films and a discount system to compete with countries such as the Czech Republic or Romania. In addition, we encouraged investments in infrastructure.
A turning point, however, came with the arrival of Andy Vajna, the Hollywood producer-Väin-Film Commissioner, who led the review of Hungary’s film financing system. Vajna centralized film financing under the Hungarian National Film Fund, which ensures that resources were allocated efficiently and strategically. His reforms streamlined not only the financing process but also placed Hungary as a serious competitor on the global stage.
“We went from a business volume of $ 22 million to $ 305 million today. The discount increased from 20% to 30% and attracted studios like Universal. The first major production was” Hellboy “in 2004 … That was proof that the model worked,” added Tamás.
The real impact on the industry
The growth of Hungary’s film industry is reflected in its number and infrastructure. Astra Filmland is a clear example.
“Originally, this Astra, where we are now, began, with this building in 2007, which contained three sound scene. And now we have 12 sound scene. Two are under construction but will open soon,” said Pásztor.
The country has gone from just having a studio that can handle large productions to boasting several top facilities, such as Korda Studios, was founded in 2007, and the recently expanded NFI studios in Fót. The development of NFI Studios, which was launched as a landmark state investment in 2020, has increased Hungary’s studio capacity by 22% across the country and opened new opportunities for the industry.
Budapest-Movie Commissioner Csaba Káel highlights the importance of this expansion: “During Pandemin, we realized that the key to maintaining Hungary as a global film destination was to continue investing in our infrastructure. This is why we expanded the national film institute with that, and add four new audio sites and increase four new audio Film Institute.
But in addition to the buildings, the actual performance is the professionalization of their technical herds.
“Previously, foreign teams were brought in; today 80% of productions use local techniques. A decade ago we were able to handle a large project; now we can handle five at the same time,” said Tamás Cutak.
Hungary’s advantages compared to other European countries extend beyond infrastructure. According to Cutak, labor flexibility is another strong point: “We do not have stiff trade unions as in Hollywood. If you need an extra hour of shooting it is possible here.” In addition, Budapest’s versatility as a place is an attractive function for producers: “Budapest has many faces … It can be Paris, Rome … and it has a first -class selection of hotels and restaurants to accommodate international herds,” added Tamás Pásztor.
In addition to filming: Exercise and expansion
In order to maintain the industry’s growth, Hungary has invested in training new professionals.
“The film industry needs not only first -class facilities but also very skilled talents. In Hungary, we have established a training program at the University of Drama and Film in Budapest, where students learn with groundbreaking technology such as virtual background and digital lighting design,” said Káel.
The country has also invested in post -production and film music. “To attract shots is not enough. We want Hungary to be a full -fledged hub, from production to post production and film music. A good example is that the soundtrack” Megalopolis “by Francis Ford Coppola was recorded here,” added Káel.
On another front, the Hungarian animation continues to establish itself. “In 2025, we will celebrate 111 years of Hungarian animation and will be the guest country at the Annecy Festival,” Csaba noted.
Challenges and the future of Hungarian cinemas
Despite its success, the industry’s growth faces challenges. One of the largest is the sustainability of the tax incentive model.
“The limit is the state budget: Each discount dollars comes from taxes. If more projects arrive, the repayment period (now 200 days) will increase. We must convince the government to invest more here is more valuable than in battery factories,” warned Tamás Cutak.
In addition to financing, the industry must also adapt to technical changes. Artificial intelligence is one of the factors that transform the sector and Hungary does not want to remain.
“Artificial intelligence is already changing the industry, especially in animation and visual effects. In Hungary, we are prepared to integrate these tools into film production. We do not see AI as a threat but as an opportunity to improve our abilities and be even more competitive,” said Káel.
But the technology plays a role not only in production but also in distribution. One of the ongoing challenges is to bring Hungarian cinema to a wider audience.
“One of the challenges we face is the distribution of our films within the European Union. That is why we have developed a national streaming platform, Filmio, and our idea is to expand it over Central Europe. We want Hungarian cinema not only to be produced here but also to reach the right audience.”
Future plans also go beyond film studios. Astra Filmland already has ambitious projects in place. “We call it Astra Filmland … We have many plans to not only offer studios, audio tests and workshops, but also services. We plan to build a food court, a shopping center … basically, a movie city,” said Tamás Pásztor.
Some recent projects that have chosen Hungary for its production: “The Brutalist” filmed some of its scenes on Korta Studios and over Budapest; “The entertainment system is down”, the upcoming satirical film by Ruben Östlund with Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst, is currently pushed in the country; James Vanderbiltt’s “Nuremberg”, with Russell Crowe and Rami Malek, also filmed key scenes in Budapest; While “Now you see me 3” and Sky’s new series “Amadeus” has exploited Hungary’s versatile studio infrastructure and places. On the local front, Oscar winner László Nemes completed the filming of “Orphan”, a drama in post-revolutionary Budapest and expected at the autumn film festivals.
In the future, several international productions are already planned to shoot in Hungary in the coming months. Although many details remain confidential because of NDAs, local industry people assure studio bookings for 2024 and 2025 are “livelier than ever.”
“We used to sell places; now we sell studios. Projects such as ‘Dune’ or the Netflix series are filmed here because we have technology and teams. They only use exteriors for 2-3 days; the rest are done on soundcenage with LED screens,” said Tamás Cutak.
The Hungarian cinema is not only part of the industry’s current but also its future. And with every new production that chooses Hungary as its home, “Hollywood of the Danube” continues to strengthen its position as one of the big players in the global cinema.
