Netflix Albuquerque Studios

Netflix Albuquerque Studios is a film and television production complex in the Mesa del Sol development of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facility was originally established as ABQ Studios and was built in 2007 as part of the growth of New Mexico's production infrastructure. Its premises include sound stages, production offices, and a backlot, allowing productions to conduct multiple phases of physical production at one site. Before Netflix acquired the complex, ABQ Studios was used by a range of film and television productions. It became especially associated with Breaking Bad, whose production crew used the facility as a headquarters. Breaking Bad was the second production filmed at the studio, following In Plain Sight. The site's connection with the series became part of its cultural profile; the coordinates shown in the season-five episode "Buried" as the location where Walter White hides money point to the studio's location rather than to a fictional remote site. The premises also hosted major Hollywood productions, including The Book of Eli, The Avengers, The Lone Ranger, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Independence Day: Resurgence, Just Getting Started, and Logan. The facility later supported Better Call Saul, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and the fourth season of Stranger Things, among other projects. These productions demonstrate the site's ability to accommodate both television series and feature films, including projects requiring substantial stage space and local production operations. In October 2018, Netflix was reported to be negotiating to acquire the studio and develop it as a primary production base for Netflix original programming. Netflix subsequently acquired the property, contributing $30 million in capital investment. The acquisition was accompanied by a further $14.5 million in funding from the city of Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico. Following the transaction, the facility was renamed Netflix Albuquerque Studios, aligning its identity with Netflix's broader studio and production strategy. In November 2020, Netflix announced a major expansion plan involving an additional 300 acres. The company committed to spending $1 billion on production connected with the expansion. Construction began in May 2022 and was expected, according to the cited reference material, to be completed by 2024. The expansion positioned the Albuquerque complex as a long-term production hub rather than simply a rental stage facility. The original premises were described as containing twelve sound stages, production offices, and a backlot. The studio's role is primarily operational: it provides physical infrastructure for scripted film and television production rather than serving as a consumer-facing product brand. Its strategic value comes from combining dedicated stages and support space with Albuquerque's established production ecosystem. The facility remains associated with Netflix's original-content pipeline, while its production history also includes projects made before the Netflix acquisition. Ransom Canyon season one is listed among later productions at the studios, with a 2025 production designation in the reference material.

Netflix Albuquerque Studios originated as ABQ Studios, a production complex built in Albuquerque's Mesa del Sol development in 2007. The facility was created during the expansion of New Mexico's film and television infrastructure and was designed to support substantial productions through a combination of sound stages, production offices, and a backlot. The cited description identifies twelve sound stages on the premises. The studio's early production history included In Plain Sight, followed by Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad used the complex as a headquarters for its production crew and filmed there from 2008 through 2013. The series helped establish the facility's association with Albuquerque-based television production. A location reference shown in the season-five episode "Buried" points to the studio's actual coordinates, creating an additional connection between the real facility and the show's fictional story. ABQ Studios subsequently hosted a range of feature films and television projects. The listed productions include The Book of Eli, The Avengers, The Lone Ranger, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Independence Day: Resurgence, Just Getting Started, and Logan. The premises were also used for Better Call Saul, which ran from 2015 to 2022, and for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie in 2019. These projects indicate that the complex served both recurring television productions and large feature-film units. Netflix's involvement began with negotiations reported in October 2018. The company sought to acquire the facility and use it as a primary production base for Netflix original content. After the acquisition, Netflix invested $30 million in the site, while an additional $14.5 million in support came through the city of Albuquerque and the state of New Mexico. The former ABQ Studios identity was replaced by Netflix Albuquerque Studios, bringing the facility under Netflix's studio branding. The acquisition formed part of Netflix's effort to secure production capacity for its expanding original-content operation. Rather than relying exclusively on rented stages and temporary locations, the company gained a permanent complex with dedicated infrastructure in a region already experienced in film and television work. The site continued to support productions associated with the wider Netflix pipeline, including Stranger Things season four in 2022. Ransom Canyon season one is listed as a 2025 production at the studios in the cited material. In November 2020, Netflix announced a further development program. The planned campus expansion covered 300 additional acres and was linked to a $1 billion production-spending commitment. Construction began in May 2022, with completion expected in 2024 according to the reference. The expansion plan strengthened the site's intended role as a long-term Netflix production hub and increased its potential capacity beyond the original stage and support facilities. The studio is not a standalone entertainment distributor or a consumer product line. It is a physical production asset within Netflix's corporate ecosystem. Its functions include providing stages, offices, backlot space, and related production infrastructure for films and television series. Its historical importance derives from the combination of a prominent pre-acquisition production record, its association with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and Netflix's subsequent investment in Albuquerque as a strategic location for original-content production.

• 2022

  Expansion construction begins

  [1]Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Construction on the planned campus expansion starts in May.

• 2020

  Netflix announces a 300-acre expansion

  [1]Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Netflix announces an expansion involving 300 acres and a $1 billion commitment to production spending.

• 2018

  Netflix acquisition negotiations are announced

  [1]Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Netflix is reported to be negotiating to purchase ABQ Studios and make it a primary production facility for Netflix original content.

• 2018

  The facility becomes Netflix Albuquerque Studios

  [1]Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Netflix acquires the facility, makes a $30 million capital investment, and the studio is renamed under Netflix branding.

• 2008

  Breaking Bad begins production at the facility

  [1]Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Breaking Bad becomes the second production filmed at the studio and uses the facility as a headquarters for its production crew.

• 2007

  ABQ Studios is established

  [1]Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The production complex is built in the Mesa del Sol development of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A large-scale physical production campus serving Netflix original film and television projects and supporting the wider Albuquerque production ecosystem.

• Studio infrastructure · 2007

  Sound stages

  The original facility includes twelve sound stages for controlled indoor filming. These stages support television series and feature films requiring repeatable environments, set construction, lighting control, and production continuity.

• Studio infrastructure · 2007

  Production offices

  Production offices provide working space for the administrative, creative, and logistical teams responsible for coordinating film and television projects at the complex.

• Studio infrastructure · 2007

  Backlot

  The backlot extends the studio's filming capacity beyond enclosed stages, giving productions space for exterior sets and other controlled physical-production requirements.

• Studio expansion · 2022

  Expanded Netflix production campus

  The announced expansion adds 300 acres to the campus and is tied to Netflix's long-term production investment in Albuquerque. Construction began in 2022.

• 2020

  Commit to a major Albuquerque campus expansionStrategy

  Background

  Netflix planned to increase its dedicated production capacity and deepen its presence in New Mexico.

  Action taken

  The company announced a 300-acre expansion and committed $1 billion toward production spending.

  Aftermath

  Construction began in May 2022, with completion expected in 2024 according to the cited reference.

  Production spending commitment. $1 billion (Announced November 2020)

  Source

• 2018

  Acquire ABQ Studios and establish a Netflix production baseM&A

  Background

  Netflix sought a permanent, large-scale production facility for its growing original-content operation.

  Action taken

  Netflix acquired the Albuquerque complex, invested $30 million in capital, and renamed it Netflix Albuquerque Studios.

  Aftermath

  The facility became a branded Netflix production site while retaining its role as a physical-production center for film and television projects.

  Netflix capital investment. $30 million (2018 acquisition)

  Source

1. 1Netflix Albuquerque Studiosen.wikipedia.org