8 Famous Movies You Probably Didn’t Know Were Filmed In New Mexico
Knowing that some of our favorite movies were filmed where we live or have lived, makes them all that much better. Though, it's not always obvious when that's the case, which is why we've made a list of eight movies filmed in New Mexico that you need to watch again in order to catch all those local shots. Grab some popcorn, your movie queue list awaits!
Jumanji: The Next Level
Where: Shiprock, NM
Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and many other A-listers hit the big screen for their sequel to the revamp of a total classic. Filming for the movie took place in Shiprock, New Mexico, as well as principal photography. Many scenes from the movie are filmed in dessert-like settings, so we're not surprised.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Where: New Mexico
Any Star Wars film is going to require gorgeous, scenic states to shoot some of the more out-of-this-world scenes. Turns out, among all of the adventures across the galaxy, Rey stopped by New Mexico to continue learning the way of the Jedi.
The Avengers
Where: Albuquerque, NM
Production for the first-ever Avengers movie actually began in Albuquerque. As it turns out, the cast and crew were such fans of the area, that the Governor of Albuquerque was brought in to decide on whether or not filming could take place primarily in Albuquerque. To which he said "yes," of course.*
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Where: Deming
Marvel isn't the only studio that loves New Mexico! Originally, the scenes that were shot in Deming were supposed to be shot in Morocco. Due to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, plans changed. Any scene shot in "Nairobi, Africa" was actually, you guessed it, in New Mexico!
Independence Day
Where: White Sands, NM
Everyone remembers when Will Smith saved the planet from aliens, and it was far from his last heroic act. Turns out, many of his heroic deeds in this movie took place in none other than White Sands.
Thor
Where: Galisteo and Santa Fe, NM
Can you recall the scene where Thor lands after falling from Asgard? Well, he landed in this sandy South state. He later meets Dr. Jane Foster and her family there and enjoys many cups of coffee.
Logan
Where: Rio Rancho, NM
New Mexico was Logan's third major filming location. Scenes were shot all over the place, including Rio Rancho, Albequerque, Chama, and more. Rio Rancho is where most of the filming in NM took place.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Where: Chama, NM
Indiana Jones was everyone's favorite hero back in the day, but what many probably don't remember is seeing Chama, New Mexico throughout this particular Indiana Jones film.
*This article has been updated.