Netflix is unstoppable. The multimillionaire streaming platform has now become a fast growing production machine that plans to spend over $1 billion on Netflix Original over the next 10 years.
Netflix has announced that it is buying ABQ Studios, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Why invest in Albuquerque, you may be thinking? Well, New Mexico is a conveniently located state, and only 2 hours from Los Angeles on the plane. Most of the productions for films and TV series have recently moved to New Mexico, which also means a lot of crew and directors have second homes there, hence, it’s easy to recruit. The landscape of the region, the desert, yellow colour palettes and beautiful scenery, is now starting to impose itself on our screens.
But why? Breaking Bad was undeniably the first TV series that brought Albuquerque back to our screens, and had a massive success worldwide. Vince Gilligan, the creator of the show, had initially intended to shoot in California, but the competitive tax rates made ABC, the broadcaster, move the series to the desert. And let’s say it, what a choice! Albuquerque’s backdrop completely sank into the Breaking Bad landscape of meth dealing and addiction, the location almost becoming a character of the show in its own right.
So well done Netflix for securing another studio facility for its productions. We hope that will prompt our local Steven Knight to get going on his Birmingham Film studio dream, which would only do good for the city, the industry & us Brummies.
New Mexico has became major production hub, with Hollywood taking advantage of the western landscape and generous tax incentive to make everything from “Breaking Bad” to “The Avengers.” Here are four takeaways from yesterday’s deal and why Albuquerque has become so important to moviemaking.
unknownx500
