Though some credit the phenomena of the ‘escape room,’ (where a group needs to solve clues to escape an enclosed space) with Hungarian origin, the first concept of the escape room surfaced in the US, to be followed soon thereafter by more sophisticated rooms in Japan. It is true, however, that Hungary was an early adapter, and brought the escape room to Europe. Budapest even hosted the Escape Room World Championship in 2017 due to the popularity and variety of the escape rooms in the country. These days, Budapest seems to have an escape room on each block.

It’s no surprise that the concept spawned a horror film franchise, and — with the amount of film production in Budapest — also no surprise that at least a portion of one of the Escape Room movies was filmed in Hungary. The first Escape Room was filmed in South Africa, and was a hit for Columbia Pictures. The sequel, however, was in part filmed at the sound stages of Origo Studios, just outside of Budapest, the place where films such as Dune, Gemini Man, and Mars also were filmed. Taking advantage of Origo’s 10 stages (8 soundstages, 2 VFX/multimedia stages) and state-of-the-art equipment, the 15 million dollar Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, went on to gross over 50 million dollars worldwide.

But don’t expect to see any of Budapest in the film. New York subways, an ornate hotel lobby, and even a beach, were recreated by expert crews and technicians. Time will tell if a third instalment will be shot, and if Buapest will play an expanded role in the production. Until then, there is no shortage of escape rooms to keep us occupied. Maybe we can find a clue in the theatrical trailer to Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, below.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.