The Foreign Filmmaker

Rumors of Allen filming his next movie in this city or that will be fast and furious from now on. We've brought your attention to reports of a 3 film deal in Spain, beginning with a film in Oviedo. This morning comes yet another rumor that Allen's next film will not be shot in Oviedo, let alone Spain.

Woody Allen has proved his popularity in France once again, with "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" opening at No. 1 and taking in $3.9 million from 412 screens in its opening weekend, the most of any of the director's films in French history, the film's distributor, Warner Bros. France, said Monday.

A total of 412 prints of the film were released in the territory, making for a per-screen average of 1,150 filmgoers. The movie was especially popular on Paris' 94 screens, with 208,554 tickets sold over the weekend. Allen is said to be planning to set his next film in the French capital.

We're happy that Allen gets to realize his life long dream of filming overseas, to make the kind of movies he's loved since he was young. But we're also sad. Whatever Works might one day be categorized as one of his final, perhaps the final, NYC film. But taking one thing with the other, we hope he continues on in Europe.