Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana feature in Lone Survivor, a 2013 American military film written and directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg. The film is based on Marcus Luttrell’s nonfiction book of the same name, which he co-wrote with Patrick Robinson in 2007. Lone Survivor is a dramatization of the failed US Navy SEALs counter-insurgency mission Operation Red Wings, in which a four-man SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance unit were entrusted with tracking down and killing Taliban leader Ahmad Shah during the Afghan conflict.
Berg initially heard about the novel Lone Survivor while filming Hancock in 2007. He set up multiple meetings with Luttrell to talk about adapting the book for the screen. After competing against several big film companies, Universal Pictures won the picture rights in August 2007. Berg based much of his screenplay on Luttrell’s eyewitness testimonies in the book, as well as autopsy and incident reports relating to the mission, in re-enacting the events of Operation Red Wings.
Berg returned to work on Lone Survivor after filming Battleship for Universal in 2012. Principal photography began in October 2012 and lasted 42 days; the film was shot on location in New Mexico using digital cinematography. Technical consultants included Luttrell and numerous other Navy SEAL veterans, and the film’s production was helped by multiple branches of the US Armed Forces.
Lone Survivor Filming Locations
So, where did Lone Survivor filming take place? First and foremost, in case you weren’t aware, Lone Survivor is set in Afghanistan, where the actual events occurred. But where did the producers film these huge shootouts and action scenes to give the impression that a genuine war was raging in Afghanistan? The scenery in the movie gives the impression that it was shot in Afghanistan. The beautiful mountains of New Mexico were chosen by the filmmakers to make the film as realistic as possible.
The production, directed by Peter Berg on a rather limited USD40 million budget, required filming incentive support, which means the crew traveled to New Mexico and took advantage of the state’s 25% tax credit. California would have been more convenient, but as with many other projects, the lottery procedure utilised to distribute the state’s filming incentive proved to be a turnoff. New Mexico has had a great few years, hosting big-budget films like Marvel’s first Avengers film and Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger, as well as the impending sci-fi Transcendence, starring Depp.
Locations Used In New Mexico
We now know that producers filmed in New Mexico, but New Mexico is a large state! We delved a little deeper to find out which locales in New Mexico were used by the filmmakers.
The beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Santa Fe National Forest were one of the locations used. The location was chosen in an attempt to generate landscapes that resembled the Hindu Kush mountain range. In Chilili, New Mexico, more filming took place. The creators used Chilili’s magnificent wooded surroundings to film many of the forest battle sequences.
Finally, the Air Field scenes were shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The crime thriller Breaking Bad was filmed in Albuquerque for five seasons, and the show’s international success prompted a boost in New Mexico’s TV incentive. Better Call Saul, a spinoff drama, is set to premiere in the city later this year.
Also Read: Murder Mystery ‘Crooked House’ Filming Locations & Plot Setting
Lone Survivor Was Filmed Without Permission, According To This Landowner
According to the lawsuit, a local landowner called Patrick Elwell has come forward to claim that his property was exploited without his permission to film the narrative of a Navy SEAL squad attacked in the Afghan mountains. The filmmakers paid La Merced de Pueblo de Chilili $35,000 for permission to use the land for over three weeks, however, it appears that the producers engaged with the wrong corporation.
On Nov. 3, Elwell wrote a letter to the creators of Lone Survivor. He claimed that he has no idea who approved the Production Company to utilize his property for the filming of “Lone Survivor,” and that he has not personally authorised anyone or anything to act in his place. The proprietor would soon find out who had given permission for a 150-person film team to simulate explosions and gunshots on his property.
The property has been in dispute since 1841, when the Mexican government created the 40,000-acre Chilili Land Grant and sold it off, according to a Nov. 19 section by Albuquerque news source KRQE. Elwell’s forefathers were among the earliest settlers, and he has proof of ownership in the form of a property deed.
Others in the community, such as Juan Sanchez, president of the Chilili Land Grant, believe the original land purchases were illegitimate. Unfortunately for Sanchez, the courts have ruled against him. He hasn’t been deterred. The producers of Lone Survivor may not have been aware of the old feud when they chose a location to film and struck an arrangement with Sanchez’s organisation.
Also Read: ‘Home Inspector Joe’ Filming Locations: The Real Estate Reality Show
Discussion about this post