From Casino to Studio: Native American Tom Makes Big Bets in Hollywood

In 2018, 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. Tom had built a new and renovated gaming establishment, and his Economic Development Board was considering converting a 1950s casino into a water park, ropes course or glamping destination. Another almost useless proposal by the group was to open a movie studio.

New Mexico has emerged as a production hub, attracting movies and TV shows with strong tax breaks, a large employee base, sunny weather and short flights to Los Angeles Albuquerque, with Universal pledging $500 million. But beyond the potential financial benefits for Tesuke, the studio has brought a potentially even more compelling promise: an opportunity to help shape the image of indigenous peoples on screen.

“At least we can be at the table to help guide, get rid of the stereotypical portrayal of Hollywood,” Roman Duran, a member of Tesuque Pueblo and chairman of the tribal advisory committee, told the studio, which they dubbed Camel Rock. . “I think we can be, we think, the creators and advocates of today’s influential terminology that represents Native Americans at every level.”

Prior to the studio’s official launch, they had a top-notch product in their space, Universal’s Western 2020. News from around the world. This film, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks, used the casino to store support, set up construction and manufacturing offices, and built a parking lot for the green screen river crossing sequence.

As the land of Tesuk is its own people, performances filmed here are not subject to New Mexico tax breaks, but Camel Rock Studios quickly hired a second long-term resident on the new AMC show. dark winds, who built a Navajo village, caves, and a house for its main character, Detective Joe Liforn. “What everyone loved was the fact that we were able to shoot in tribal lands,” said Chris Eyre, executive producer and director of the show. “We invest money in the tribal economy, we diversify their business. If we’re going to create native content, we’re going to do it right.”

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