Amc casino

In , the Tesuque Pueblo, a small Native American tribe based outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, was trying to decide what to do with their old casino. The tribe had built a new, updated gaming facility, and their economic development board was considering converting their s-era casino lot into a water park, a ropes course or a glamping destination. Another, almost offhand suggestion the group entertained was opening a movie studio.

New Mexico was emerging as a production hotbed, luring films and TV shows with a strong tax incentive, deep crew base, sunny weather and short flights to L.A. Netflix has committed to spending more than $1 billion on production in the state and is expanding its studio in Albuquerque, and Universal has pledged to spend $ million. But in addition to the possible economic benefits for the Tesuque, the studio brought the promise of something potentially even more compelling — the chance to have a hand in shaping the image of Indigenous people onscreen.

&#;We can at least be at the table to help guide, to get away from the stereotypical Hollywood portrayal,&#; says Roman Duran, a member of the Tesuque Pueblo and the chair of the tribe&#;s advisory committee for the studio, which they named Camel Rock. &#;We can be, I guess, an influencer is the terminology nowadays, and advocate for Native American representation at all levels.&#;

Before the studio even officially got off the ground, they had a high-profile production in their space, Universal&#;s Western News of the World. That movie, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks, used the casino for prop storage, set construction and production offices, and built a tank in the parking lot for a greenscreen sequence of a river crossing.

Because the Tesuque land is its own nation, productions that shoot here are not eligible for New Mexico&#;s tax incentives, but Camel Rock Studios quickly booked a long-term second tenant in the new AMC show Dark Winds, which built a backlot with a Navajo village, caves and a house for its lead character, Detective Joe Leaphorn. &#;What everybody fell in love with was the fact that we were able to shoot on tribal land,&#; says Chris Eyre, executive producer and director of the show. &#;We&#;re putting money into a tribal economy, diversifying their businesses. If we&#;re going to make Native content, let&#;s do it right.&#;

This story first appeared in the June 1 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.