Reports from multiple Czech outlets suggest that Prague may soon host one of the highest-profile film productions ever to shoot in the country early next year. According to Forbes Czech Republic, director Martin Scorsese is planning to film a significant portion of his next feature, What Happens at Night, in the Czech Republic, with a potential February start.
While the project remains under embargo and has reportedly circulated under working titles, multiple sources are reporting that a shoot for What Happens at Night in the Czech Republic is close to being finalized. If confirmed, the production would bring Scorsese together once again with Leonardo DiCaprio, alongside Jennifer Lawrence, for a mystery thriller set in a wintry European city.
Neither Apple Original Films, which is backing the project, nor local authorities have officially confirmed the Czech shoot. An equivalent production has yet to be registered by the Czech Audiovisual Fund, though it may have been filed under a working title.
A wintry thriller rooted in Europe
What Happens at Night is an adaptation of Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name, adapted by Patrick Marber. The story follows an American married couple who travel to Europe to adopt a child, only to find themselves staying in a vast, nearly deserted hotel populated by enigmatic and unsettling figures. As snow closes in around the unnamed city, their sense of reality — and their marriage — begins to fracture.
Forbes reports that Scorsese himself has indicated cameras could start rolling as early as February, with location scouting in Czechia already underway. The country’s winter conditions, historic architecture, and ability to double for a generic European city make it a natural fit for the novel’s atmosphere.
World of Reel adds further weight to the reports, citing a production schedule that places the start of filming in the Czech Republic in February, followed by additional work in New York City. While production schedules can change, they are typically shared only among industry professionals, lending credibility to the Czech reports. If Prague is confirmed, it would mark Scorsese’s first time shooting a feature film in the Czech Republic.
What Happens at Night will also be the seventh collaboration between the director and DiCaprio, following The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, and most recently Killers of the Flower Moon. For Lawrence, the film would represent her first on-screen collaboration with Scorsese, though he is credited as a producer on her recently-released feature Die My Love.
The project’s creative team further underscores its ambitions. According to World of Reel, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto is attached, continuing his long-standing collaboration with Scorsese. Prieto has shot the director’s last four films and is widely regarded as one of the industry’s most versatile directors of photography.
What it could mean for the Czech industry
Should the production proceed as reported, What Happens at Night would rank among the most prestigious international features ever to shoot extensively in Czechia. In recent years, Prague has hosted a steady stream of large-scale series and films for global platforms, but Scorsese’s involvement would carry a different kind of symbolic weight.
While international series such as Carnival Row and Foundation have spent billions of crowns on Czech production services, their cultural impact can be limited. A Scorsese feature, by contrast, would likely premiere at a major international festival and remain part of the global cinematic conversation for years.
Recent Czech-shot films such as Nosferatu and All Quiet on the Western Front have demonstrated that projects filmed in the country can go on to significant awards recognition, including Oscar nominations that have benefited Czech crew members.
The reported scale of the production also highlights Prague’s continued appeal to top-tier filmmakers. The city offers experienced crews, soundstages at Barrandov Studio, and a dense concentration of locations capable of standing in for multiple European settings. Its track record with high-end period and contemporary productions has steadily grown, particularly since the expansion of streaming-backed projects.
The start date for What Happens at Night has yet to be officially confirmed. Scorsese is known to be balancing several projects, including a Hawaii-set crime drama reportedly involving Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.
If confirmed, Scorsese’s winter shoot in Czechia would not only add another major title to the country’s recent filmography, but also reinforce Prague’s position as a destination capable of supporting the most demanding auteurs in contemporary cinema.
Lead photo: Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) / Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love (2025)
