Talent, locations, infrastructure and attractive incentives are making Madrid a key production centre, with a growing number of international shoots and companies basing themselves in the city.
The figures speak for themselves: the city of Madrid hosted 41 feature films and 48 fiction TV series in 2024, including Renny Harlin’s action thriller The Beast starring Samuel L Jackson and the third season of AMC’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. They are the latest major international productions to have chosen to film in the Spanish capital following Wes Anderson’s 2023 Asteroid City and the Netflix series Kaos and Warrior Nun.
Proof of the strength and sustained growth of the local industry comes in a recent Olsberg SPI study on the economic impact of international productions in Spain. The report — undertaken for Spain Film Commission and service provider association PROFILM, which was published last September — concluded Madrid had the highest spend of all regions by international shoots between 2019 and 2022 with a total of $202m (€194.8m) on 31 film and TV productions.
A number of factors explain the boom in local and international productions: the 30% tax rebate in Spain, skilled crews and facilities, an efficient transport network and plentiful hotels, as well as the city council’s championing of the film industry.
“Madrid is very competitive in terms of industry and production costs, attractive locations, sunny weather and public support,” says Raúl Torquemada, director of Madrid Film Office, which has increased its assistance by 18% in 2024 compared to 2023. “This has made us a key production hub in Europe both for international shoots and local productions with international appeal, both in Spanish-speaking countries and worldwide thanks to platforms with global reach.”
Spoilt for choice
The wide range of locations include the historic literary quarter in the city centre, majestic palaces, modern architecture in the financial district and even an open-air Egyptian temple. Madrid provides both typically Spanish locations and can stand in for foreign cities: Netflix’s Madrid-set spy thriller In From The Cold also shot its Moscow-set scenes in Madrid, and the city doubled for London in the third season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Mario Santa Cruz, location manager for the AMC series, says: “Beyond the diversity offered by Madrid, I would also highlight the industry’s infrastructure from sets to warehouses, access to crews — most of them Spanish, in the case of this series — and the transport network that allows you to travel very easily to other locations in Spain.”
Another advantage of shooting in Madrid, adds Santa Cruz is “how quick the local council is in responding to shooting permits. They make the process very easy.”
Beyond the locations industry, the city is enjoying the impact of international streaming platforms such as Netflix, Max, Prime Video, Disney+ and SkyShowtime, which have chosen Madrid as an operational base. Meanwhile, Spanish streamers and networks including Movistar Plus+, Atresmedia, Mediaset as well as producers such as The Mediapro Studios, Buendía Estudios and Secuoya Studios have also increased investment in local production.
This has run hand-in-hand with investment in the city’s infrastructure, which includes established studios such as Madrid Content City, The Nonstop Studios, Infinia, Elamedia, Adisar Media and Super 8. Among the newest developments are the Toboggan Group’s proposed 30,000-square-metre studio complex and EFD Studios’ ambitious plan for the biggest virtual set in Europe.
The city council’s goal, through Madrid Film Office and other areas, is to boost the industry from financing to production. With an annual fund of $3.1m (€3m), the city council has proved to be a vital financial backer to film and TV productions. It will also finance EU-based companies as long as the project is linked to the promotion of the city and its film industry. Additionally, the city council has allocated $8.2m (€8m) to the Crea SGR programme, a financial facility supervised by the Bank of Spain, that shares the financial risk and distributes the funding to production and exhibition companies based in Madrid. Both financial mechanisms are compatible with Spain’s national 30% cash rebate on eligible spend.
Madrid’s city council also supports new talent, including the provision of financial support for the residency programme run by the Spanish Film Academy.
