Monday at 9: 00 a. m. ET, Pedro Almodóvar said in a lengthy interview that he does not intend to make more English-language films and that his next movie is planned for next year. The comments came while he was promoting Bitter Christmas, which opens in Spain later this month and marks a return to Spanish-language work.
This decade Almodóvar experimented with English-language projects, making The Human Voice and Strange Way of Life, and in 2024 directing The Room Next Door, which won the Golden Lion at Venice; those efforts bookend the detour he appears ready to end as he focuses again on films made in Spain.
Bitter Christmas: Cast, Premise and a Return to Spanish Settings
Bitter Christmas stars Leonardo Sbaraglia alongside Victoria Luengo and Patrick Criado. The film centers on a work-obsessed woman who, after her mother’s death, takes a holiday in Lanzarote with a friend; their experiences begin to mirror a story being written by a screenwriter and a film director, using a clearly meta-narrative device.
Almodóvar described Bitter Christmas as something of a sister film to Pain and Glory, suggesting the new movie continues explorations of autobiographical themes. The trailer leans on the director’s characteristic vibrant aesthetic and melodrama, signaling a stylistic shift back toward his Spanish cinema roots.
Pedro Almodóvar’s Next Movie Plans and His View on American Productions
In the interview, Almodóvar said he suspects the rest of his career will take place in Spain and that American production structures often feel unnecessarily elaborate. “Sometimes Americans complicate their lives too much, ” he said, noting that productions can require much larger teams than he considers necessary.
At 76, the director said he is already planning to shoot his next movie next year. For now, his timeline is anchored to that planning window rather than to further projects in the United States, reinforcing a pivot from this recent English-language phase.
The Room Next Door’s Award and Why the Shift Matters
Despite The Room Next Door winning the Golden Lion at Venice, Almodóvar indicated the Hollywood detour may have been a one-off. He acknowledged the difficulty of fully transplanting his Spain-rooted cinema to another system, even when major stars are involved.
Those comments frame his decision as both artistic and practical: he is prioritizing the creative conditions he finds most productive in Spain rather than continuing to pursue U. S. -based productions that, in his view, bring added complexity.
For now, Bitter Christmas opening in Spain later this month is the immediate milestone. More details about releases and the director’s next shooting schedule are expected 2: 00 p. m. ET; if shooting begins next year, production updates are expected to follow by that time.
