Written by on Jul 31, 2015. Posted in On Location

Matthew McConaughey to film prospecting drama Gold in New Mexico

Matthew McConaughey will film scenes for prospecting feature Gold in New Mexico for a few weeks from mid-August. The movie is reportedly inspired by the true story of a notorious mid-1990s mining scandal that involved the apparent discovery of gold in the Indonesian jungle.

New Mexico filming will focus on Albuquerque and the production is also scheduled to shoot in New York and Thailand.

“Albuquerque welcomes the feature Gold to our city,” said Albuquerque Mayor Richard J Berry: “We continue to support the movie industry and the movie industry continues to support our local economy; it’s a great thing for everyone.”

New Mexico is a hugely popular US filming location and the top choice in North America for desert settings. The state offers a 25% filming incentive for movies and a 30% incentive for TV productions.

Albuquerque was given a big profile boost by the international success of crime drama Breaking Bad and prequel series Better Call Saul (above) is about to start filming its second series in the city.

Alien invasion sequel Independence Day: Resurgence is among the biggest movies currently filming in the state.

“I’m beyond excited to bring the sequel to Independence Day to New Mexico,” said director Roland Emmerich when the shoot was first announced for Albuquerque: “With their state-of-the-art Albuquerque Studios, the robust tax incentive programme, the proximity to Los Angeles and last but not least its talented cast and crew make New Mexico a great fit for any movie.”

New Mexico is likely to face stronger competition from Los Angeles now that California has boosted its filming incentives.