{"id":3792,"date":"2025-07-20T21:54:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T21:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/?p=3792"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:20:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:20:06","slug":"the-entertainment-system-is-down-and-matchbox-both-filmed-in-budapest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/?p=3792","title":{"rendered":"THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and MATCHBOX: Both Filmed in Budapest"},"content":{"rendered":"

News from two high-profile (and very different) films that wrapped production in Budapest over the last few months: Ruben \u00d6stlund\u2019s THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and the MATCHBOX film from director Sam Hargrave.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Entertainment System is Down<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As reported by Screen Daily, \u00d6stlund was recently in Croatia participating in Slano Film Days while he edited his most recent film on his laptop and his family enjoyed some beach time. <\/p>\n

The celebrated Swedish director\u2019s second English language film shot in Budapest over 70 days at the beginning of the year. The film\u2019s story takes place almost exclusively on a long-haul flight where the passengers are confronted with in-flight screens that stop working. To ensure the utmost authenticity, \u00d6stlund and his producers (Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober)\u00a0purchased a decommissioned Boeing 747 which they dismantled and shipped to Budapest where it was reassembled into a working set. <\/p>\n

The film stars include Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Bruhl, Nicholas Braun, Tobias Menzies and Julie Delpy,\u00a0as well as a cast of 150 extras. Despite calling it a \u201ctough shoot\u201d due to the single set and sheer numbers of extras involved in every shot, \u00d6stlund added that, \u201cTechnically and production-wise, everything worked very well\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To overcome the difficulty of filming inside the tight quarters of an airplane, \u00d6stlund used what he referred to as a “robot”\u2014a programmable mechanical arm operated with a PlayStation controller. This device could extend into cramped areas where it would be impossible for both a camera and its operator to both fit .<\/p>\n

Although \u00d6stlund had used similar tech in the past, this project marked a significant expansion in its application. \u201cThey\u2019re now compact enough to work in very tight spots,\u201d he said. Working alongside cinematographer Fredrik Wenzel, he helped program the device to handle complex shots. \u201cIt was a huge asset,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Known for his Palme d\u2019Or-winning films\u00a0The Square<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Triangle of Sadness<\/em>, \u00d6stlund is aiming to premiere\u00a0The Entertainment System Is Down<\/em>\u00a0as his sixth out of seven features at Cannes. He also repeated his goal of sparking \u201cthe biggest walkout in the history of the Cannes Film Festival,\u201d referencing a single-take sequence where a young girl is forced to go 15 minutes without her family\u2019s iPad.<\/p>\n

Matchbox<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in an interview with Collider, John Cena (star of the upcoming Matchbox<\/em> feature that also filmed partly in Budapest), has called the movie \u201ckick-ass\u201d and commended the storytelling chops of director Sam Hargrave. The actor explained, \u201cWhat really stood out to me about\u00a0Matchbox<\/em>\u00a0is that Sam gets to show more of his storytelling skills.\u201d <\/p>\n

Matchbox<\/em>\u00a0is the first time Cena has worked with Hargrave, who\u2019s known for his stunt coordination work on major franchises like\u00a0Marvel<\/em>,\u00a0The Hunger Games<\/em>, and\u00a0Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em>. Cena spoke highly of the experience, both on a personal and professional level.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest thing I took from working on this film is that I gained a friend and developed huge respect for Sam Hargrave,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s someone I look up to\u2014he brings out the best in everyone, every single day. I admire his drive and work ethic. After seeing how dedicated he is, it makes sense why his films look the way they do. I\u2019m really hoping we get to team up again.\u00a0Matchbox<\/em>\u00a0is a powerhouse of a movie, and Sam really had the chance to dig deeper into storytelling, not just focus on jaw-dropping stunts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cast joining Cena includes Jessica Biel, Corey Stoll, Danai Gurira, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro. The screenplay was written by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper\u2014the latter also working on a future\u00a0Star Wars<\/em>\u00a0project.<\/p>\n

Although an official release date hasn\u2019t been announced,\u00a0Matchbox<\/em>\u00a0is currently in post-production.<\/p>\n

Sources & further information<\/strong><\/p>\n

Screen Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

Flatpack Films<\/strong> has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of 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.<\/p>\n

Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

News from two high-profile (and very different) films that wrapped production in Budapest over the last few months: Ruben \u00d6stlund\u2019s THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and the MATCHBOX film from director Sam Hargrave. The Entertainment System is Down As reported by Screen Daily, \u00d6stlund was recently in Croatia participating in Slano Film Days while he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3792"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3792\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3794,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3792\/revisions\/3794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatpackfilms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}