The Many Loves of Tom Hanks in Budapest

It seems like only yesterday that Tom Hanks was in Budapest filming Inferno, the follow-up to Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. But it was in fact back in 2015 when he spent two months in Hungary. By all accounts he worked hard, and didn't indulge in the nightlife. But with time, we are better able to see just what the esteemed actor was up to when he, like so many others, let themselves go and gave in to their passions once infected by the spirit of the city.

via Tom Hanks' on twitter

While the production of Inferno went off without a hitch, and the movie was released to good box office returns, the story did not end there for Mr. Hanks, who, it seems, left his heart in Budapest. If you followed the story on twitter or in other news accounts, then you know that Hanks fell in love with a relic of Socialist times in the form of a Polski Fiat 126p, or affectionately known in Hungarian as the “Kispolszki”, the "Little Pole", a tiny auto marketed to a Socialist Central/Eastern European population that needed a way to get around but didn’t have a lot of money.

via Tom Hanks' twitter account

But it wasn’t just one Polski Hanks was seen woo-ing. He had designs on Polskis all around town, and wasn’t shy about documenting his conquests, as you can see from the photos, all widely shared on social media. Of course it came time to leave Budapest, and Hanks had to leave behind his beloved passion. The story should have ended there, in the form of just one more story of unrequited love. But the town that manufactured the Polski from 1973 to 2000 (Bielsko-Biala, which is indeed, in Poland) decided to send one of their best and most alluring to the New World, as a gift to Hanks. And so it happened that after a crowd-funding campaign, a brand new, Polksi (in white, of course) was manufactured, outfitted especially for Hanks, and shipped to California.

via Wikipedia

Hanks is reported to be especially gratified to be re-united with his love interest. And to think, the whole thing started here in Budapest. It wasn’t the first international love story to ignite against the cosmopolitan, old-world backdrop of our city, and we are sure it won’t be the last. In a place like this, anything is possible.

Have a look at the custom interiors of Hanks' Polksi here:

Flatpack Films is based in Budapest, Hungary. We are a film company that offers an inspiring and professional work atmosphere for our local and international clients. Since our inception, our focus has been providing the best of the best in terms of local production resources, locations, cast, and technical teams to ensure that whatever the production we facilitate, we do to highest standard possible.