Written by on Oct 24, 2014. Posted in On Location

Fantasy movie sequel The Scorch Trials to film on location in New Mexico

Fantasy movie The Scorch Trials is set to film on location in New Mexico through to January next year. The film is the follow-up to recent hit teen movie The Maze Runner and will follow a group of young adults struggling for survival on a future Earth ravaged by solar flares.

New Mexico location filming will be focussed in and around Albuquerque and will employ at least 250 local crew and nearly 2,000 local extras.

“We are excited to have The Scorch Trials film in our city,” said Richard J Berry, Mayor of Albuquerque: “This sequel to the very popular The Maze Runner will have a tremendous economic impact to Albuquerque. Welcome!”

The Maze Runner filmed on location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which is one of the top production centres in the US for big-budget studio films, partly because of its uncapped 30% filming incentive. Albuquerque is a logical choice for The Scorch Trials as its base 25% filming incentive for features makes it the only truly viable US location for sun-blasted desert landscapes.

New Mexico has a high profile as a filmmaking state and is particularly popular for TV shoots, which can get a 30% incentive. The state currently hosts Manhattan, a drama about the development of the first nuclear bombs, as well as Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul.

Stanistan is doubling New Mexico for Afghanistan and drama series Dig recently chose to film interiors in Albuquerque after relocating from Israel in the summer when renewed violence flared with Gaza.

Two other major young-adult franchises, Insurgent and The Hunger Games, are both based in Atlanta.