Haley Lu Richardson Starts Filming Cold War Thriller 'Ponies' in Budapest

Haley Lu Richardson is currently filming Ponies, a Cold War-era thriller series for Peacock, which began production in Budapest, Hungary, in February 2025. The series also stars Emilia Clarke, with both actresses taking on lead roles.

Ponies is set in 1970s Moscow and follows two U.S. embassy secretaries who become CIA operatives after the deaths of their husbands. Richardson plays Twila, described as “a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless.” Clarke plays Bea, “an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants.”

The show’s title, Ponies, comes from intelligence slang meaning “Persons of No Interest.” The plot centers on the women’s investigation, which leads them into a broader Cold War conspiracy.

Additional cast members include Adrian Lester (Hustle, The Day After Tomorrow) as Dane, the CIA’s Moscow station chief, and Artjom Gilz (Tár, Das Boot) as Andrei, a KGB officer. Both are listed as recurring characters.

Filming locations include several recognizable Hungarian sites such as Heroes’ Square, the Chain Bridge, and the industrial town of Dunaújváros. One reported scene involves Clarke in a near-collision car sequence. As of now, no official release date for the series has been announced.