Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

We all wondered, what actors would be willing to work with Allen given his current status in the industry, and the fact that he hasn’t actually shot a film in Hollywood in almost 10 years.

Not too sure what the definition of a “high-profile cast” is, but I'm hearing Woody's film will be led by Jemima Jo Kirke, a British-American artist best known as Jessa in the HBO series "Girls." The other lead role will go to Alexi Wasser, best known for "Messy" (2024), her feature debut as writer, director, and star — a John Waters favorite of 2025. Her acting credits include "Girls," "Search Party," "Poker Face," "Art School Confidential," and "Cabin Fever 2." She also ran the cult dating blog "I'm Boy Crazy."

As previously reported, the film will begin shooting in Madrid on October 5, after the project was delayed from its originally planned start this spring. Per the agreement, the title must include "Madrid," and the film will be shot entirely in that city. Plot details have yet to be revealed.

Allen’s last five films were beautifully lensed by one of the all-time great cinematographers, Vittorio Storaro — “Apocalypse Now,” “The Conformist” — hopefully he’s back for this latest project.

Allen recently told journalists Neil Rosen amd Roger Friedman that he hoped to shoot another film in New York, but he’s having “real trouble” securing financing. He hasn’t filmed in the United States since the #MeToo allegation resurfaced via Mia and Ronan Farrow. Over the past seven years, he has instead set his stories in Paris, San Sebastián and Madrid.

Allen's last film was 2023's "Coup de Chance," the 50th he's directed, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. It was shot entirely in French and turned out to be one of the better efforts he's given us over the past 10 years. It was also well received by critics, currently holding an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes — making it his best-reviewed film since 2013's "Blue Jasmine."