Last month it was announced that Lakeshore Entertainment would be shooting their new sci-fi action flick Game at the freshly constructed Albuquerque Studios. It sounded like a tight fit, what with Lionsgate shooting the superhero flick The Spirit there at the same time. Apparently, things have spilled out into the streets now, resulting in one of the most conspicuous film shoots in Albuquerque history. The $51 million production is busily constructing an entire cityscape in Downtown Albuquerque. If you’ve spent any time in the area recently, you may have noticed the massive structure going up around Silver and Third. This life-sized futuristic city block will soon be crowded with up to 5,000 extras. (That’s how many producers were hoping for according to a recent casting call, anyway.)
As for the film itself, it stars Gerard Butler (of 300 fame) and is set in the not-so-far-flung world of 2018. In this high-tech Tomorrowland, there’s a top-rated show called “The Game,” which has gone beyond the boundaries of past video games and reality TV programs. John Tillman (Butler), a man who’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit and is sentenced to life imprisonment, wants to get back to his wife and daughters. To do so, he must participate in this deadly militaristic game that pits prison convicts against each other to win release. With Tillman’s military training and natural physical prowess, he is a hugely popular participant. But there are powerful forces that want to make sure Tillman never gets out alive.
Wow, aside from the fact it’s set in 2018, rather than 2017, that sounds exactly like the plot to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Running Man. Oh well, it worked out OK for Arnie.
Principal photography on Game is scheduled to begin Nov. 5. So next time you head to Anodyne, Gold Street Caffé or the Century Downtown theater, be sure to honk at the nice Hollywood people in their fake futuristic city. I’m sure they’ll love that.