Aggressive incentives have resulted in an international film boom

Despite President Trump routinely reinforcing his threat to impose a 100% tariff on films produced outside the US, productions large and small continue to look for the best locations to shoot abroad, with Europe remaining a key destination for major Hollywood projects. Last year, Brady Corbet’s epic “The Brutalist” made headlines during awards season when the director spoke openly about the benefits of filming in Budapest, Hungary. His partner, director Mona Fastvold, also shot her promising ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ in the Hungarian capital.

Not only Hungary is reaping the benefits. Scotland has also welcomed a slew of big Hollywood productions in recent years, with Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ and Destin Daniel Cretton’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ filming in the country in the past year. A recent BBC study reported the positive impact the hit TV show ‘The Traitors’ had in Scotland, with a whopping £21.8 million ($28.5 million) in the local economy. A representative from Screen Scotland also highlighted that productions such as “Frankenstein” encourage talent development through on-set training programmes.

As cash and tax credits become more aggressive and crews become more experienced in multiple countries around the world, there is a wealth of options when it comes to where production goes.

As industry leading figures prepare to attend this year’s Focus manufacturing conference, taking place in London on December 8 and 9, Variety rounded up a list of some of the emerging international shooting destinations:

Gosford House, Scotland

Scotland, like all countries in Britain, offers a cash rebate of up to 25% of eligible expenditure, with tax relief limited to 80% of core expenditure. The country has seen a boom in international productions in recent years, with its three main cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen – doubling down on other international locations for films such as ‘The Running Man’, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’.

Although the country has seen the number of studios grow in recent years to keep up with demand from international productions, especially from major streamers, its natural surroundings and many castles are still a big draw. Gosford House, located in East Lothian, just outside Edinburgh, provided many of the exterior shots of Victor Frankenstein’s childhood home in del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’. The iconic property has also featured in many other high-profile productions, including Apple TV’s ‘The Buccaneers’ and the hit Scottish TV series ‘Outlander’.

Strathspey Railway, Scotland

BBC’s reality show ‘The Traitors’, a growing global sensation, is being filmed in Scotland after the big showpiece final mission was shot on the iconic Strathspey Railway. The Steam Train is based in Aviemore, a town in the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands, popular for its breathtaking natural landscapes. The railway and its historic 19th century platforms also played a crucial role in the much-loved highlands drama ‘Monarch of the Glen’, starring Julian Fellowes of ‘Downton Abbey’, using the fictional Glenbogle station for the series – still visited by fans from all over the world.

Canmore, Alberta, Canada

The Canadian province of Alberta offers a 22% or 30% tax credit on eligible productions. The city of Canmore is known for its impressive Rocky Mountains, rugged peaks and turquoise rivers. Located just outside Banff National Park, the location offers the benefits of similar scenery without the added bureaucracy.

HBO’s hit show “The Last of Us” was filmed in more than 180 locations in Alberta, becoming the largest production in the province’s history and one of the largest in Canada. In the show, Canmore was transformed into the post-apocalyptic society of Jackson, Wyoming. Cast and crew have often cited the location as one of their favorites in Canada, with the cozy, secluded feel of the city and breathtaking natural scenery being a major draw.

Koh Samui, Thailand

Thailand offers a cash rebate of up to 30% for foreign film productions with local expenditures of approximately $1.4 million or more. The Southeast Asian country skyrocketed in popularity earlier this year when it hosted the final season of the hit HBO show “The White Lotus,” but it has long been a popular destination for international productions thanks to its diverse mix of beaches, mountains, jungles and big cities.

Ko Samui is the third largest island in the country, but remains small enough to be circumnavigated by motorbike or car in just a few hours, making neighboring locations easy to reach. The island is home to the premier ‘The White Lotus’ location: the Four Seasons, a world-class luxury resort situated on a private hillside overlooking the Gulf of Thailand with panoramic sea views, lush coconut palms and a secluded beachfront location, ideal for high-end productions. Nearby you will also find the popular Fisherman’s Village, a charming seaside street full of old wooden shophouses, local markets and beachside cafes.

Riga, Latvia

Latvia offers a cash rebate program of 20% for local expenses and 30% for wages. That amount can be combined with a discount from the Riga Film Fund, as long as 50% of the total budget is confirmed before the application.

Riga has grown in popularity in recent years, mainly due to how easily it can double in size compared to other major European cities such as Warsaw, Berlin, London and Zurich. Riga also offers a coastline in the Kurzeme district and extensive forests in Latgale, making it a versatile location.

Latvia has recently welcomed high-profile international indie productions such as Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut ‘The Chronology of Water’ and Sergei Loznitsa’s ‘Two Prosecutors’.

Cantacuzino Castle, Romania

The recently revamped Romanian cash rebate program offers a 30% return on spend, covering eligible expenses incurred in the country. The reconsideration of the program is an attempt to attract more international productions to the country at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, especially in light of the war in Ukraine. Romania was recently chosen as a key location for the Netflix series ‘Wednesday’, which transformed Bușteni’s Cantacuzino Castle into Nevermore Academy. Nestled against the Carpathian Mountains and its lush forests, the palace combines the sharp edges of neo-Romanian architecture and vast natural landscapes. It is also somewhat conveniently located two hours and 30 minutes away from the capital Bucharest.

Auckland, New Zealand

The New Zealand Film Commission recently made changes to its rebate program to boost an industry that generates almost $2 billion for the country annually. The discount, which currently stands at 20% with a possible 5% increase for international productions, is easy to claim and not tied to taxes, with the New Zealand dollar offering excellent value for international productions. The new program also lowered the threshold for qualifying projects to a minimum of $2.6 million, down from $8.5 million. The city of Auckland is a popular shooting destination thanks to its geographical diversity – with many urban landscapes, forests, coastlines, black sand beaches and volcanic fields within a short drive of the center – but also because of its wealth of studios and post-production facilities. This year the city hosted filming for the series ‘Predator: Badlands’ and Netflix’s ‘East of Eden’.