How Spain is becoming Hollywood's European film set again

If you've been scrolling endlessly through your Netflix or Amazon Prime account recently, watching all the trailers, looking for something to watch, you may have noticed that there's absolutely loads of films and series based in Spain.

In fact, in recent years this has become a real trend.

Whether it be the boom in Barcelona-based crime dramas or blockbuster international films shot in Spain, production companies from around the world have been flocking here in recent years.

A history of blockbusters

Spain has hosted dozens of international blockbusters in recent years, including "Kingdom of Heaven", "The Crown", "Doctor Who", "The Witcher", "Black Mirror" and "Blade Runner 2049", to name just a few.

Of course, there have also been several Spanish-made productions that have gone on to become international hits and must watch TV the world over. "La Casa de Papel" (Money Heist) and high-school drama "Elite" are the two standouts.

This is nothing new, however. Back in the 1950s, some absolute cinema classics were shot in Spain. Dictator Francisco Franco prevented foreign production companies' capital from exiting the country (as did other European nations), meaning that Hollywood reinvested its gains in shooting more movies in Spain, which was considerably cheaper than rival countries such as Italy. 

Notable examples include films like "Lawrence of Arabia", where scenes were shot in The Alcázar and the Plaza de España in Seville, or "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", which used the Tabernas Desert in the south-eastern region of Almería to film several of the desert scenes.

"Doctor Zhivago", "A Fistful of Dollars", "Cleopatra", "El Cid", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "Spartacus" were all shot in Spain during the country's golden era of international cinema.

With the arrival of democracy in Spain, increased wages and the liberalisation of foreign capital, Hollywood lost interest in the country in the 1980s, making London and Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire the American movie industry's main European hub.

Fortunately, Spain has been returning to its former glory in recent years.

In terms of attracting big time production studios to Spain, particularly the content streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, it was really the arrival of "Game of Thrones" in 2015 that opened the world's eyes (and those of location scouts) to the sheer potential Spain has as a filming base.

Spanish extras acting in "Game of Thrones" leave a Seville bullring in 2014. The fantasy series' prequel "House of Dragon" has also been shot in Spain. Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP

 

In these sorts of high budget, aesthetically pleasing productions, the more films and series made the more likely location scouts were to pay a visit to Spain.

In that sense, success breeds success, both foreign and domestic.

Todd Yellin, a filmmaker who spent 17 years at Netflix, told Spanish website 20minutos there were two main reasons why Spain attracts filmmakers: firstly, the tradition of high quality cinema in Spain ("From Buñuel to Almodóvar, you have had and continue to have great directors,"); and secondly, the success of the Spanish made shows like La Casa de Papel: "Success attracts success and we are investing in Spanish content because of the great narrative of the country and also because we have a large Spanish-speaking audience."

 

Varied landscapes

Spain's stunning and varied landscapes also clearly play a role here. Whether it be the arid desert areas of Almería and Murcia, the volcanic landscapes of the Canary Islands, or the luscious green coast of the north, Spain has some pretty breath-taking landscapes that translate well to the big screen.

This is a fantastic cultural asset, and one that location managers from the world over are now learning how to take advantage of. But not only to film productions based in Spain but also, increasingly, to come and shoot in Spain while pretending that they are somewhere else.

Silvia Araez, an executive producer at Fresco Films, told RTVE that many film companies seek out Spain due to its geographical diversity: "We will always look for Cuba in Cádiz, Miami in Málaga, the forests of California in the north and a whole series of stereotypes in the peninsula, which is very diverse and very small, something very important," Araez stresses.

The arid landscapes of Almería in southern Spain have meant that some of Hollywood's most epic westerns have been shot there, from "A Fistful of Dollars" to "Once Upon a Time in the West". (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP)

 

So it's no surprise that many viewers aren't even aware that countless big time films and Netflix and Amazon series are filmed in Spain while being set elsewhere.

For example, British royalty drama "The Crown" was largely set in the UK but large parts of the hit series were filmed in Jerez de la Frontera, Sotogrande and Seville, in the southern region of Andalusia.

The fifth Bourne movie starring Matt Damon was meant to be set in Athens but instead shooting took place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 

 

 

Money (and tax) talks

Of course, Hollywood and the entertainment world are ultimately businesses.

Though it is true that Spain's rich cinematic history attracts filmmakers, as does its landscapes, significant tax breaks offered to filmmakers to shoot in Spain also undoubtedly plays a role.

Tax breaks were raised in March 2020 when the government established a new rate for Spain’s mainland of a 25-30 percent deductions on spend for both rebates on international shoots and credits for Spanish co-productions.

No less important is the fact that the incentive cap per shoot was raised from €3 million to $10.1 million. The minimum production budget to trigger incentives was set at $2.02 million and $1.01 million minimum expenditure in Spain qualifies a shoot for incentives.

The Canary Islands has even gone a step further in attracting foreign filmmakers and has established a 50 percent tax rebate with a $19.4 million cap. Navarre offers 35 percent via tax credits.

This system of tax incentives also benefits local companies. Production companies based in Spain are essential when it comes to applying for these tax incentives and benefits, as well as for other production assistance and tax purposes. In order to obtain these incentives, the company must spend a minimum of €1 million in the country, employ a percentage of local staff, and the incentives plus grants can never be higher than the equivalent of 50 percent of the production costs.