Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos cut the ribbon on a major expansion of Netflix Studios Albuquerque and said the facility has racked up nearly $900 million in total investment in New Mexico production since 2019.
The company launched the hub in 2018, marking its first purchase of a production studio complex. This one included eight sound stages on 28 acres with productions that included The Avengers, Breaking Bad, and Sicario. It’s the only complex Netflix owns outside one currently being developed in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.
The larger facility featuring four new soundstages, three mills, one production office, two stage support buildings, and two dedicated backlot areas across 108 acres, is an expansion that “will enable us to enhance our creative output and produce even more compelling films and series for our global audience, further solidifying our commitment to nurturing and growing the thriving production ecosystem in New Mexico.”
The expanded studio incorporates several new sustainability features like on-site solar and battery storage systems, geothermal heating and cooling, all-electric appliances, and 50 electric vehicle fast chargers to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint and lower operating costs.
“Since acquiring Albuquerque Studios, New Mexico has proven to be an exceptional production hub for us. It offers a rich tapestry of landscapes, a talented workforce, and a supportive community,” Sarandos said. Projects filmed there include Stranger Things, The Harder They Fall, Army of the Dead, and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. A crossing in the studio was named after the latter film’s writer and director, Vince Gilligan.
“We’re looking to continue this streak with upcoming series filmed on the studio lot” with Ransom Canyon, a contemporary Western romance; Pulse, a medical procedural; and supernatural series The Boroughs.
Netflix said it’s directly invested nearly $575 million in New Mexico productions and the number comes close to $900 million adding in other productions that have used Netflix Studios Albuquerque. The streamer hired over 4,000 cast and crew members in the state from 2021 to 2023.
In 2022, the company launched Netflix in Your Neighborhood, a website encouraging fans to explore the filming locations Netflix projects shot in various parts of New Mexico that now includes over 100 filming locations and cultural sites across eight titles, including Stranger Things, Chupa, Better Call Saul, The Harder They Fall, and Army of the Dead.
“Our goal is to contribute culturally to the state and bring the excitement of our films and series beyond the screen and into the community,” Sarandos said.
He thanked New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Senator Ben Ray Luján, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, and numerous vendor partners including the 2,800 construction workers who worked on the expansion.
