Why ‘Pluribus’ Ditched Hollywood for New Mexico: The Uncapped Tax Break Powering the Next Blockbuster

Vince Gilligan’s next project, ‘Pluribus,’ will not shoot in Hollywood.
It will shoot in New Mexico.
The decision, confirmed via IndieWire, hinges on a simple financial equation: the state’s uncapped tax credit program offers up to 30% back on qualified expenditures.
California offers a capped, competitive credit that often leaves big-budget productions in a lottery.
New Mexico offers certainty.

The name ‘Pluribus’ signals scale.
Derived from *E Pluribus Unum*—”out of many, one”—the title mirrors the production’s structure: a global cast, international financing, and a unified shooting schedule.
Gilligan told IndieWire the project is his first with a “truly international” production angle.
New Mexico, he argued, provides a neutral, logistically friendly base for that kind of collaboration.
It is not a compromise. It is a strategy.

The Tax Engine

New Mexico’s Film Tax Credit is the core driver.
The program refunds 25% to 30% of resident and non-resident expenditures, with an additional 5% uplift for above-the-line costs like directors, actors, and producers.
Television series with more than six episodes qualify for a 30% base rate.
There is no annual cap on the total credit amount.
That is the killer detail.

Compare that to California.
The Golden State’s Film & TV Tax Credit Program allocates $330 million annually, awarded via random selection.
Demand routinely exceeds supply by a factor of three.
For a project of ‘Pluribus’ scale—estimated at north of $150 million—California’s cap creates unacceptable risk.
New Mexico eliminates that risk entirely.

Better Call ABQ

The long-tail location strategy is simple: Albuquerque is not a backup.
It is a production asset.
Albuquerque Studios offers 12 soundstages, with the largest at 32,000 square feet.
The crew pool, hardened by 15 years of *Breaking Bad* and *Better Call Saul*, numbers over 2,000 experienced locals.
That is not anecdotal. That is infrastructure.

Shooting in New Mexico keeps ambition grounded in a second way: scheduling.
Los Angeles productions lose days to traffic, permit delays, and overbooked facilities.
Albuquerque does not have those bottlenecks.
Gilligan has said the state’s “can-do” attitude—fast-tracked permits, cooperative local government—lets him focus on storytelling, not logistics.
That is the ‘Better Call ABQ’ effect.

Gilligan’s Loyalty

Gilligan’s attachment to New Mexico is personal and professional.
He shot 121 episodes of *Breaking Bad* and 63 of *Better Call Saul* in the state.
He knows the local crews by name.
In his IndieWire interview, he described New Mexico as “a place where the film community isn’t just a service industry—it’s a creative partner.”
The tax break matters. But trust matters more.

Beyond the Spreadsheet

The non-financial advantages are structural.
New Mexico offers 300+ days of sunshine, a filming calendar that rarely pauses for weather.
The state’s geography—high desert, pine forests, urban sprawl—doubles for locations from Texas to the Middle East.
For an international production like ‘Pluribus,’ that means fewer location scouts, fewer travel costs, fewer permits.
The state’s film office reports an average of 10 days from permit application to approval.
In Los Angeles, that same process can take 30 days.

The Economic Ripple

The impact on local communities is measurable.
New Mexico’s film office estimates that every $1 in tax credit generates $4.50 in direct spending.
‘Pluribus’ is expected to employ 800 local crew members and 3,500 background actors.
Hotels, catering, equipment rentals, and construction crews all benefit.
This is not a one-off.
Since *Breaking Bad* premiered in 2008, the state’s film industry has grown from $100 million in annual spending to over $800 million in 2024.
The cycle is self-reinforcing: more productions build better infrastructure, which attracts bigger projects.

Risks and Mitigations

New Mexico is not perfect.
Post-production facilities remain limited compared to Los Angeles.
Monsoon season, from July to September, can disrupt outdoor shoots.
‘Pluribus’ mitigates the first by partnering with local post houses in Santa Fe, and the second by scheduling interior-heavy scenes during the rainy months.
The larger risk is saturation.
If too many productions chase the same crew pool, wages rise and the incentive advantage erodes.
For now, that day is distant. The state’s crew depth remains underutilized.

The Blueprint

‘Pluribus’ is a test case.
If Gilligan delivers a blockbuster shot entirely in New Mexico, the industry will follow.
The state’s tax credit is uncapped, its infrastructure is proven, and its talent pool is deep.
Hollywood’s loss is Albuquerque’s gain.
The math is simple. The precedent is set.

Extended Reading

For further context on Gilligan’s production strategy and the international scope of ‘Pluribus,’ refer to his interview with IndieWire: Vince Gilligan Interview on ‘Pluribus’ .
Initial reports also surfaced via IMDB News, though that source is currently inaccessible (403 error).