Alicante is firmly back on the movie map. After years when its huge Ciudad de la Luz film studios stood largely unused, major international productions are once again making themselves at home on the Costa Blanca.
Disney is currently filming its live-action version of Tangled at the Alicante studios, while Sony has also used the complex for a Venom production. Independent producer The Good Films has meanwhile chosen Ciudad de la Luz as the base for a series of films planned over the coming years.
And judging by what the Tangled team has been saying this week, Disney may not be finished with Alicante yet.
Rapunzel comes to Alicante
Disney’s new Tangled is based on its 2010 animated film about Rapunzel and is due to reach cinemas in March 2028.
The production is now entering its final two weeks of filming. On Thursday 17 September, members of the Disney team joined the film’s director and producer at Ciudad de la Luz to talk about their experience working in Alicante.
Director Michael Gracey, whose previous films include The Greatest Showman, praised both the studios and the local film industry.
The Australian director said the production needed impressive locations and studios capable of bringing the Disney story into a believable real-world setting. The team has combined interior and exterior locations during the shoot.
Gracey also highlighted the talent, dedication and experience available in Alicante, along with the studios’ infrastructure and easy access to the city.
There was one drawback. He pointed to the lack of direct flights between Alicante and the United States as a weakness for Alicante as an international filmmaking hub.
One of Disney producer’s favourite filming locations
Producer Kristin Burr was equally positive about the experience.
Burr, whose credits include Cruella and Christopher Robin, described Ciudad de la Luz as one of her favourite locations where she has filmed.
She particularly praised the range of locations available around Alicante and the professional facilities at the studios.
Burr said she had worked in plenty of places where technical problems made production difficult. In Alicante, by contrast, the Tangled team had the technical facilities it needed.
Disney executives attending Thursday’s event also spoke positively about Ciudad de la Luz, raising the possibility that the company could consider Alicante for further productions in the future.
There are no confirmed new Disney films for the studios at this stage, but the reception from the Tangled team certainly gives Alicante something to build on.
Alicante’s film studios are busy again
The current activity marks quite a turnaround for Ciudad de la Luz.
The studios previously hosted major international films including Astérix at the Olympic Games in 2008 and Juan Antonio Bayona’s The Impossible in 2012, starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
After a long period with little filmmaking activity, cameras are rolling again.
The arrival of companies such as Disney and Sony puts the studios back into the international film industry, while also bringing large productions and their crews to the Costa Blanca.
For anyone living nearby, it also adds an intriguing thought to an ordinary drive through Alicante. Somewhere behind the gates of Ciudad de la Luz, Disney is currently building Rapunzel’s world.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Disney is filming its live-action Tangled at Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante.
- The production has entered its final two weeks of filming.
- The film is due for release in March 2028.
- Director Michael Gracey praised Alicante’s film talent, infrastructure and locations.
- Producer Kristin Burr called Ciudad de la Luz one of her favourite filming locations.
- The lack of direct Alicante-US flights was identified as one disadvantage.
- Sony has also brought a Venom production to the studios.
- Disney has indicated that Alicante could be considered for further productions, although none have yet been confirmed.
