Where Was Silverado Filmed? A Thrilling Crime Drama Film From 1985!!

If you’re tired of scouring websites, trying to look for enthralling crime drama films, then you don’t need to look further. In this article, I’ll introduce you to an award-winning crime mystery movie, Silverado, starring Kevin Costner. Plus, later in this article, I’ll also reveal, where was Silverado filmed.

The American classic-western film, Silverado, released in 1985 was based on a screenplay, written by Lawrence Kasdan a few years prior to the film. Although, while making final adjustments to the script, Lawrence took assistance from his brother, Mark, and later invited him to be a part of the project, officially. The basic premise of Silverado, showcases the strong bond of a bunch of outlaws, who decide to stand up against marked criminals, unitedly.

Silverado earned two nominations at the 58^th Academy Awards for Best Sound and Best Original Score. Apart from that, this crime action film also won a number of awards in later years. The action-movie fans enjoyed the overall storyline of this iconic movie through and through, especially the stellar on-screen performances of the actors. The makers were hoping Silverado to become a blockbuster film at the box office, however, the film only managed to collect $32 million, against the filming budget of $23 million.

So, without waiting any longer, let’s explore where was Silverado filmed and find out more about the specific shooting sites. In addition, I’ll also discuss the plot of Silverado in brief, later in this article.

Where Was Silverado filmed? Let’s Know This Classic Western Film Closely!

After experiencing timeless films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Big Chill the audience and critics quickly realized that Lawrence Kasdan was a force to reckon with. Thus, as soon as this project was announced, the fans were eagerly waiting to witness yet another super-entertaining film from Kasdan. To keep up with the same expectations, the director-producer of Silverado, left no stone unturned. During the initial stage of pre-production Kasdan asked other members of the unit to scout for potential filming locations within America.

So, after two and a half weeks, a number of places in and around New Mexico were scouted by the crew. Kasdan was pretty impressed with the overall look of the places, as it matched the dry and rough backdrop, which he wanted for his film. Thus, after discussing with other creative heads of the unit, Kasdan concluded to shoot Silverado entirely in different parts of New Mexico.

The principal photography began in November and continued till the end of March, of the following year. The filming schedule got delayed due to an accident, which took place on set while filming an action sequence. Luckily, the actor involved in the mishap did not sustain severe injuries, as he was quickly transported to the nearest hospital. Shooting resumed after the actor made significant progress, and returned to the unit. So, without further ado, let’s discuss where was Silverado filmed in-depth, and find out more about the specific shooting sites.

Los Alamos, New Mexico | USA

The production members arrived in Los Alamos County to capture the opening sequence of the film. The scene where we see the cowboy fighting against a group of hooligans, in the middle of nowhere, was actually captured near the barren fields of Los Alamos. This census-designated place was previously used by the American government for testing A-bombs, thus a large portion of Los Alamos county is uninhibited. Although, this barren and arid setting was perfect for Kasdan to shoot the first scene of Silverado, depicting the rugged and unrestrained lifestyle of the lead character.

The production members captured a few other exterior shots in Los Alamos and then moved to the next filming location in New Mexico.

Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico | USA

The next significant filming location in New Mexico was the village of Abiquiu. This sparsely populated village located in Rio Arriba County was used to film the sequence where the lead actor meets his old companions. Pivotal sequences were filmed around the Ghost Ranch. As mentioned earlier, while shooting a particular action sequence, one of the actors was injured and had to be rushed to the hospital. 

The shooting stopped completely, for a few days. After the actor recovered from his injuries and returned on set, the director instructed the members to quickly prepare for shooting the final sequence of the film. The ending scene of the movie, where we see the lead character bidding farewell to his companions, was filmed at a place near Santa Ana Pueblo, located in Sandoval County.

Alright folks, now allow me to give you an overview of Silverado in brief, so that you can establish a fair idea about the storyline of this western film. Meanwhile, you can check out This Is Christmas, Book of Love and Chaos Walking as well.

Plot Of Silverado | What’s It About

The basic premise of Silverado revolves around the character of Emmett, a feared American outlaw, who stands up for the weak and downtrodden. At the beginning of the movie, the lead character is ambushed by a group of local goons, who were sent to kill him. However, Emmett escapes the assassins and later kills them instead. As the story progresses further, the lead actor runs into an old companion, Paden, and decides to take him to “Silverado”. While the old friends were on their way to the town of riches, Paden quickly spots the group of hooligans who attacked him previously. Watch Silverado know what happens when Emmett and his friend, confront the marked criminals

Final Words

Alright friends, so I believe by now, you finally know where was Silverado filmed. Let us know if you enjoyed the read and found what you were looking for. You can also tell us in the comments section, about any other film or show, that you’d want us to cover. So, that’s all for now, but don’t forget to check out other entertaining articles on Viebly, which are equally fun to read.