Hostiles (2017) was filmed primarily in New Mexico, mostly around Santa Fe. Production reporting from July 2016 also names nearby Las Vegas and Los Alamos County, both in New Mexico. The film’s Montana destination belongs to its story, not to its shooting schedule.
Where the production filmed
Two kinds of evidence point to New Mexico. The first is production reporting. Screen Global Production, in a July 6, 2016 report by Nick Goundry, described filming in and around Santa Fe and nearby Las Vegas, and listed Los Alamos County among the scheduled locations. The second is participant testimony. Actor Wes Studi, speaking to The Credits in a January 2018 interview, said: “We shot in a number of locations around Santa Fe.”
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Beyond those statements, a user-maintained filming-location listing on IMDb names more specific sites in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona, and reports filming dates from July 2016 through September 28, 2016. That listing is compiled by users rather than issued by the production, so treat its entries as reported locations, not a confirmed official itinerary. The table separates the two levels of evidence.
| Location | State | Source | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe area | New Mexico | Screen Global Production (July 6, 2016); Wes Studi interview, The Credits (January 2018) | Production reporting and participant statement |
| Las Vegas | New Mexico | Screen Global Production (July 6, 2016) | Production reporting, named as nearby filming area |
| Los Alamos County | New Mexico | Screen Global Production (July 6, 2016) | Production reporting, listed among scheduled locations |
| Angel Fire | New Mexico | IMDb filming-location listing | User-maintained report |
| Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad station, Chama (reported as the “Butte” station) | New Mexico | IMDb filming-location listing | User-maintained report |
| Rio Chama and Plaza Blanca Road, near Abiquiu | New Mexico | IMDb filming-location listing | User-maintained report |
| Pagosa Springs, Archuleta County | Colorado | IMDb filming-location listing | User-maintained report; not stated in production reporting |
| Benny Creek Group Area | Arizona | IMDb filming-location listing | User-maintained report; not stated in production reporting |
The Colorado and Arizona entries should be read with that caveat. They appear only in the user-maintained listing, and the production reporting and participant statements reviewed here do not mention them.
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- In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.
Why Montana keeps coming up
The confusion is understandable. The Directors Guild of America, in a December 19, 2017 interview with director Scott Cooper, described the story as a 1892 journey from an isolated New Mexico outpost toward tribal lands in Montana. The route ends in Montana, but the cameras did not. A film’s narrative geography and its production geography are separate questions, and the evidence answers the second one with New Mexico.
How much weight each source deserves
- Production reporting (Screen Global Production, July 6, 2016) is the strongest written source for named New Mexico locations, though it was published before filming ended.
- Participant testimony (Wes Studi, January 2018) confirms the Santa Fe area from someone who worked on the film, but he does not list every site.
- The IMDb listing offers the most specific place names and dates, but it is user-maintained and should be attributed as such. It is not an exhaustive or officially verified list.
Visiting the locations
None of the sources reviewed establishes whether the named sites are open to visitors, offer tours, or have access rules. Several entries, such as the Cumbres & Toltec railroad station and roads near Abiquiu, are working places or public lands managed by others. Before planning a trip, check the current operator or land manager for each site rather than assuming access.
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- In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.
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