Brazil really loves Woody Allen. Or at least, they really love the picturesque films he made in locales such as Paris, Barcelona and London. Fans might remember that, as far back as 2009, the South American country was calling for the director. At the time, Sérgio Sá Leitão, president of the Brazilian based production company RioFilme, revealed that there were negotiations happening, with Allen himself previously expressing a desire to shoot on the continent, noting that Argentina and Brazil “had a million stories to tell.” But it seems the ante is being raised.
In a recent interview with O Globo, Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes made it clear: “I’ll pay 100% of the production. I’ll pay whatever it takes to get him to come film here.”
Paes went on to reveal that he’s pulled a variety of strings to get in touch with Allen. “I so want him to come. I’ve already done all kinds of things. I talked to his sister, I sent him a message through [Spanish architect Santiago] Calatrava, who is his neighbour in New York,” Paes said. But the lure of financing doesn’t necessarily get Woody to pull out his passport.
It was only a couple weeks ago that the director revealed he’s been offered funding to go to Stockholm to shoot a picture, but that he’s demurred, citing the need for a good idea to make use of the region. So, we’ll wait to see if Woody’s next cinematic journey takes him abroad again, to a wholly new city. But until then, he’s shooting his next film in Paris right now with Colin Firth and Emma Stone, and you can see set photos from that right over here. [via The Guardian]
