Los Angeles, Apr 16 (UNI) American films and TV shows are facing a predicament as Hungary, one of Hollywood’s favourite shooting locations, has banned LGBTQ+ rallies and gatherings. This has thrown Hollywood into both a moral and economic dilemma, given its highly pro-LGBTQ+ content in recent years.
Hungary last week passed a constitutional amendment completely banning all LGBTQ+ rallies and gatherings, including a Budapest rally, with the move receiving overwhelming support from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.
This is the latest in a string of moves targeting the LGBTQ community in the country over the past several years, including a previous amendment that prohibits same-sex adoption and “child protection” legislation that bans the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to anyone under 18.
So far, there has been no comment from any Hollywood studios, production companies, distributors, or streaming services, according to Deadline.
None of the current productions ongoing in the Central European country have been affected by the ban, and the resultant unrest.
This includes director Denis Villeneuve’s WB produced ‘Dune’ films starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Furguson, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler; as well as the HBO series ‘Dune: Prophecy’, all of which were shot in Budapest.
Other big productions such as Apple Original Films’ ‘Matchbox’ from Skydance and Mattel Films, starring John Cena, is wrapping production in Hungary this week, while cameras on Walden Media’s Cold War thriller ‘Billion Dollar Spy ‘starring Russell Crowe have just started rolling in the country.
Production on Netflix’s sci-fi drama ‘3 Body Problem’ is also believed to be moving to Hungary from the UK for seasons 2 and 3, which are rumoured to be shooting back-to-back. The streamer has not confirmed the start of production or location, but Season 2 is said to be in pre-production in Hungary, with filming expected to begin later this year.
For Hollywood, Hungary is a big favourite due to its very competitive tax credit, estimated to be around 30%, including above-the-line costs. Unlike other places that offer tax incentives, Hungary is known to pay out its credit upfront, which is financially very advantageous for producers. It also has experienced local crews available.
“Something draconian would have to happen to the tax credit for Hollywood to abandon the country,” one producer said.
The muted reaction according to Deadline, may also be because of the boycott of the controversial North Carolina bills (The state’s controversial HB 142 expired in December 2020 and has not been revived), and American President Donald Trump’s highly anti-LGBTQ+ stance, something very similar to the Hungarian PM’s own views.
The new constitutional amendment voted in Hungary on Monday includes a clause that is virtually identical to an executive order Trump signed at the start of his second term that recognises only two sexes: male and female.
Still, it is possible that top Hollywood talent won’t be comfortable filming in Hungary under the current conditions — and some LGBTQ+ cast and crew may be afraid to go work in a country where they could be targeted — leading to fewer productions setting shop in the country.
Hollywood studios will also face the challenge of trying to keep their LGBTQ+ employees safe under the new laws. They will likely be more inclined to make the call to shoot elsewhere on future projects than they have been on existing films and TV shows — like the ones listed above — that already had spent millions of dollars prepping and building stages in Hungary, making a last-minute move costly.
“The local production services and arts crew are very upset,” a person on the ground in Hungary told Deadline. “They know people aren’t going to come back here to shoot movies. They know it’s going to reduce their business.”
But the economic benefits of shooting in Budapest are not something studios would be willing to sacrifice either, especially given the recent flops in Hollywood and its financial losses.
UNI ANV RN