State, industry officials tout New Mexico to Hollywood studios

Courtesy of Disney Studios

New Mexico Business Weekly - “The Avengers” continues to break all box office records, raking in another $103 million in its second weekend for a total of $1 billion worldwide. Most of the production was shot at Albuquerque Studios, with the Albuquerque Railyards standing in for streets in Manhattan. (A friend spent days as an extra pretending to dodge incoming projectiles and explosions as a terrified New Yorker. Thanks to greenscreen backdrops and computer generated imagery, audiences think he’s actually in Manhattan.) The gigantic sets, including Tony Stark’s three-story apartment and the massive helicarrier (essentially a flying aircraft carrier that stretched across two soundstages) took months to build, according to ABQ Studios officials. That 10-month production translated into money for hundreds of local vendors and jobs for at least 500 New Mexicans, according to ABQ Studios. It included numerous restaurants and watering holes, such as StreetFood Asia, which touted star sightings on its social media pages. I have now read many versions of the story of Chris Evans (Captain America) texting his fellow cast members with the iconic line “Avengers Assemble.” But rather than gathering to defeat evil, they apparently had a wild night at some Albuquerque nightclub. Anyone know which one? I’ve heard Burt’s Tiki Lounge or the late Atomic Cantina. “New Mexico now has in its history that it created the most financially successful opening in the history of the U.S.,” said Dana Arnold, CEO of Pacifica Ventures, the parent company of ABQ Studios. “I think that’s to our credit. It proved New Mexico has the crew and facilities to make great big movies, and they should all come make them with us.” Read More News New Mexico 

State, industry officials tout New Mexico to Hollywood studios