What-if tale lands in Roswell
Production of reboot begins in Santa Fe and Las Vegas
In TV series filming in New Mexico, alien life really did come to Roswell
The mystery behind the Roswell UFO incident has captivated the world’s attention since 1947.
The new Warner Bros. Television show, “Roswell,” will begin filming its first season this month in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, N.M.
According to the New Mexico Film Office, production will continue through January 2019. The series will air during the mid-season on the CW.
“We welcome back Warner Bros., an extensive collaborator in the New Mexico film industry, with this creative story based on historic events in Roswell,” said New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis. “Our state’s unique history, crew, support services, and a very successful tax credit have drawn the producers back to our thriving industry.”
The series is set in Roswell and follows the daughter of undocumented immigrants, Liz Ortecho, played by Jeanine Mason, who discovers a shocking truth about her teenage crush who is now a police officer named Max, played by Nathan Parsons. He’s an alien who has kept his unearthly abilities hidden his entire life.
She protects his secret as the two reconnect and begin to investigate his origins, but when a violent attack and long-standing government cover-up point to a greater alien presence on Earth, the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose him and destroy their deepening romance.
The series also stars Tyler Blackburn, Heather Hemmens, Michael Trevino and New Mexico resident Amber Midthunder.
The new series is a reboot of the late 1990s series of the same name.
“We’re very pleased to have ‘Roswell’ shooting in the city and surrounding areas of Santa Fe,” said Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber. “Warner Bros. in particular has been a long and trusted partner as we’ve built this industry in the region, so we are happy to keep building that partnership and creating jobs in our community.”
According to the New Mexico film office, the production will employ approximately 90 New Mexico crew members and 2,600 New Mexico background talent.
Carina Adly MacKenzie wrote the pilot script and serves as executive producer along with Julie Plec, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Lawrence Bender and Kevin Kelly Brown. MacKenzie worked on “The Originals.” Plec is known for her successful work on “The Originals” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
It is based on the Roswell High book series, written by Melinda Metz.