When the creative team behind Prime Video’s splashy fantasy series “The Wheel of Time” began scouring the globe for locations five years ago, it ran into a problem not uncharacteristic of that period of peak TV: It was all but impossible to find a production hub that could both accommodate the show’s sprawling footprint and meet its exacting technical requirements, with studios from Atlanta to London to Budapest booked year-round.
The producers ultimately chose the Czech Republic, a country with a rich cinematic history, a competitive 20% cash rebate, skilled crews and a reputation for servicing foreign blockbusters at a fraction of Hollywood or U.K. rates. The fact that soundstages in the capital, Prague, were also booked didn’t deter the show’s backers: They decided to build their own studio from scratch, boasting soundstages, production offices, VFX studios, a water tank and backlots where local crews are able to construct the show’s often elaborate sets.
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That the series pulled off that astonishing feat is both a credit to the deep-pocketed company financing “The Wheel of Time” and the can-do spirit of the Czech Republic, which has evolved into one of Europe’s busiest and most attractive production hubs. “The craftsmanship there is really amazing, and we’re lucky to have some of the best people in the country working on the show,” says executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins.
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David Minkowski, of leading production services outfit Stillking, which recently wrapped Season 3 of the Prime Video series, says the appeal of the Czech capital is obvious.
“Prague is and always has been a great base for big shows. It can handle almost any sized show that wants to come in, from a studio point of view, from a crew point of view, from an infrastructure point of view,” he says. A wide range of Czech locations — including scenic woodlands, lush river valleys, historic hamlets and fairytale castles — are easily accessible by car. “It’s great value, and it has all the things people are looking for.”
Other high-profile productions are following suit, including Prime Video’s limited series “Blade Runner 2099,” Lionsgate’s “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina,” starring Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas, Apple TV+’s sci-fi series “Foundation,” and Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated “Nosferatu,” starring Bill Skarsgård, Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp.
All that traffic comes despite a slowdown in the first half of 2024, which Minkowski describes as “unseasonably quiet,” due in part to last year’s Hollywood strikes, which postponed film and television production across the globe. Many projects that were slated to shoot in Prague in the first months of 2024 have now been pushed back to the second half of the calendar year, though Minkowski calls this a “temporary lull.” “Long-term, I’m not worried at all,” he says.
The country’s incentive program, meanwhile, is in the process of getting a dramatic rewrite, a fact that likewise hampered inward investment in 2023, when the rebate system was closed for new applications for most of the year. Czech film commissioner Pavlina Zipkova notes that this was due to the unprecedented demand to shoot in the Central European country, effectively making it a victim of its own success.
The new law, which is currently awaiting parliamentary approval, is designed “to serve the current need of the audiovisual industry,” says Zipkova, allowing it to keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape for global production. The key provision will more than double the existing cap, setting it at nearly $15 million per project, in a move that should entice bigger budget productions to film in the country.
Industry insiders have welcomed the proposed reforms. “The industry wants this and needs this,” says Vratislav Šlajer, the head of the Assn. of Audiovisual Producers, the country’s main industry group. As the race to lure top-shelf Hollywood productions continues, however, many say the Czech government also needs to give a boost to the country’s 20% cashback program, which lags behind regional competitors Hungary (30%), Poland (30%) and Slovakia (33%).
As for the long-term impact of the Hollywood strikes, coupled with efforts to rein in the glut of content produced globally each year, the industry remains optimistic. “I don’t think there will be a slow-down in this region,” says Minkowski. “And if anything, it will just continue to grow.”