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How Globe-Trotting Locations and Foreign Tax Incentives Helped Propel ‘Dune 2,’ ‘Queer,’ ‘Maria’ and Other Contenders Into the Oscar Race
The production teams behind 'Dune 2,' 'Queer,' 'Maria' and other Oscar contenders used far-flung locations to recreate the worlds of their films.
This year’s Academy Award contenders take audiences on journeys across space and time, from the Colosseum of ancient Rome to the drug dens of mid-century Mexico City, from the cramped confines of a network TV studio to the infinite sandscapes of a far-off planet. Making these Oscar hopefuls took a variety of factors, including peerless production design, a range of foreign tax incentives, the work of countless location scouts and a bit of moviemaking sleight of hand to transform even familiar places into entirely unexpected destinations. Dune 2 Dennis Villeneuve’s sci-fi sequel set up shop in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan to shoot its dramatic desert scenes, with production services, key crew and equipment provided by Budapest-based Mid Atlantic Films — which, thanks to a provision in the Hungarian tax incentive, were able to benefit from that country’s 30% rebate.
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