Pedro Almodóvar has announced his next feature film, Bitter Christmas (Amarga Navidad), signalling a return to Spanish-language cinema following his recent English-language project, The Room Next Door. Scheduled for release in 2026, the film marks both a linguistic and conceptual homecoming for the director, whose work has long occupied a singular position between melodrama, self-reflection, and formal precision.

The announcement follows the international recognition of The Room Next Door, Almodóvar’s first feature in English, which starred Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore and was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. With Bitter Christmas, Almodóvar shifts back to a familiar cultural and emotional terrain, while continuing to probe questions of authorship and grief.

Described as a comedy-drama, the film centres on Elsa, an advertising executive navigating the aftermath of her mother’s death during the suspended time of the Christmas period. Her attempt to manage grief through professional immersion collapses into a panic attack, prompting a physical and emotional dislocation. The narrative unfolds across Madrid and Lanzarote, following Elsa’s journey with a close friend while her partner remains behind. Running parallel is the story of a screenwriter and film director, creating a layered structure in which lived experience and fiction begin to fold into one another, a strategy that recalls Almodóvar’s long-standing interest in cinema as both confession and construction.

The ensemble cast includes Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado, Milena Smit, and Quim Gutiérrez, many of whom have previously appeared in Almodóvar’s films. Their presence reinforces a sense of continuity, positioning Bitter Christmas within an evolving but recognisable artistic universe.

Production is currently underway, with filming taking place in Madrid and on the volcanic island of Lanzarote. The latter’s stark, elemental landscape suggests a visual counterpoint to the film’s interior emotional states, extending Almodóvar’s enduring dialogue with psychology. Another personal work that we can’t wait to see.