WOODY ALLEN is abandoning his globe-trotting film making exercise to direct a new movie in his native New York.

After shooting exclusively in Manhattan for all his career, Allen turned his back on the Big Apple to make a string of films in Europe - starting with 2005 release Match Point.

But he is ready to return and will begin shooting his first movie back in New York in the New Year (08).

Allen finished shooting the comedy shortly before the writers' strike began (05Nov07).

It's rumoured Allen lost his patience with Europe after Spaniards protested about government grants which aided the production of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which stars Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson and was shot in Barcelona in the summer (07).

But Allen says, "There were people in Barcelona who took issue. I don't really know what those issues were. That's always very removed from me."