Sicario thriller sequel filmed in Mexico City

Denis Villeneuve’s first Sicario film established a story world of remote desert landscapes where many of the plot’s shadowy power plays took place.

The domains of Mexican cartel bosses pulling the strings were extravagant statements of wealth.

Director Stefano Sollima sought a similar style with the sequel. The production team spent two weeks on location in Mexico City, taking advantage of the diversity of architecture, finding Spanish colonial buildings alongside the glass and steel of the city’s modern business districts.

Mexico City is yet to establish itself as a production hub but has had high-profile successes in the recent past including James Bond movie Spectre, which recreated Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations for an action-packed opening sequence.

For Sicario 2, the relative opulence of Mexico City’s wealthier districts contrasted sharply with To’hajiilee Indian Reservation, a vast but sparsely populated region of western New Mexico that provided many of the desert wilderness visuals sought for the film.

Albuquerque and its surrounds also doubled for locations in Kansas, Texas and Mexico.

“Whether it was a road, an arroyo [a type of stream], or a house, there was always a focus on desolation and isolation in this movie,” said Shani Orona, the film’s location manager. “It was about finding places that were gritty and impoverished or forgotten.”

New Mexico is the top filming choice in the US for desert story settings, with suitable visuals, an experienced local crew base and generous incentive support. The region is an easy and regular double for Mexican locations.

See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in Mexico.

Image: Sony Pictures