NMFO News:SANTA FE ― Tuesday, New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis announced that the television series produced by Netflix, “Messiah,” will begin production in early-June through mid-August.
Filming will take place in Albuquerque, Mountainair, Estancia, Belen, Santa Fe and Clines Corners.
“We’re proud to welcome another TV series to New Mexico,” Film Office Director Nick Maniatis said. “Once again, New Mexico will serve as a double for an overseas location and show the world that we’re the leading location for TV productions.”
The production will employ approximately 500 New Mexico crew members, 40 New Mexico actors and approximately 1,800 New Mexico background talent.
The series stars Michelle Monaghan and was created by writer and executive producer Michael Petroni (“The Book Thief,” “Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader”). The show will be directed by James McTeigue (“V for Vendetta,” “The Raven,” “Sense8”) who will also executive produce along with Mark Burnett (“The Bible,” “Son of God,” “Survivor”), Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel,” “The Bible,” “Ben-Hur”) and Andrew Deane (“Masters of Horror,” “The Double”).
“Messiah” is a uniquely 21st Century political thriller that chronicles the world’s reaction to a man who emerges from the Middle East creating a groundswell of followers who claim he is sent from God. Is he what they say he is or is he a dangerous fraud bent on dismantling the world’s geopolitical order, causing civil havoc as he beguiles the world’s media and its audience? The answer to that question unfolds across ten episodes told from multiple character viewpoints (including a US Intelligence agent, a Palestinian refugee, an Israeli Shin Bet officer, and a Latino preacher and his Daughter). At its core, Messiah is a series that challenges us to examine what we believe and who we are.
