Director Aster assembles A-list cast for film shooting in Santa Fe County

Mar. 14—The director behind the A24 horror films Hereditary and Midsommar is bringing his camera to New Mexico.

The New Mexico Film Office on Thursday said Ari Aster will direct a production called Eddington — which begins filming this month across Albuquerque, Santa Fe County and Truth or Consequences, and features a stacked cast of actors.

Eddington, which follows a small-town sheriff in New Mexico with "higher aspirations," will employ 230 crew members, 105 background talent and 59 principal actors, the film office said in a news release.

The cast includes Emma Stone — recent winner of best actress at the Oscars for her performance in Poor Things — as well as 2020 best actor winner Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Austin Butler, Deirdre O'Connell, Michael Ward and Clifton Collins Jr. Eddington reunites Phoenix with Aster, as the actor starred in his last A24 film, Beau Is Afraid.

Besides directing the film, Aster will also write and produce alongside Lars Knudsen under their company Square Peg Films. Darius Khondji will serve as the director of photography.

The film office said Eddington will have an estimated economic impact of more than $52 million. Recent adjustments to the state film tax credit have boosted the amount of money productions are spending on filming outside New Mexico's largest cities, the agency added in the news release.

The current fiscal year, which ends June 30, has seen spending on filming surpass $36 million — up from $21 million in fiscal year 2023 — in rural parts of New Mexico, the agency said.

Jennifer LaBar-Tapia, film commissioner for the Santa Fe Film Office, said Aster is a 2010 graduate of the College of Santa Fe.

"[It's] just an example of how this industry has a place for anyone who wants to go out and get it, and he sure has," she said.

Democratic state Rep. Tara Jaramillo said Eddington, with its well-known cast, will prove to be a big boost for Truth or Consequences, one of the towns she represents.

"It supplies jobs for caterers, carpenters and camera crews, a surge in business for motels and restaurants, and puts a spotlight on the unique beauty of our rural communities, attracting visitors who might never have considered them before," Jaramillo said in a statement. "It's a win-win for everyone involved — the filmmakers get stunning scenery and a skilled local workforce, and our communities get an economic boost."