FARMINGTON – Netflix is set to film a Western in New Mexico that is co-produced by rapper Jay-Z, according to a Hollywood publication.

The film will star Idris Elba, known for his roles as Stringer Bell in the HBO series “The Wire” and as Heimdall in “Thor” and “Avenger” films.

“The Harder They Fall” is a Western set in the late 1800s and tells the revenge story of a man whose parents were murdered when he was young. On finding out the man who killed his family is being released from jail, Nat Love (played by Jonathan Majors) decides to rejoin his gang and hunt the killer (played by Elba). Netflix first released the movie details in November.

Backstage, a movie industry publication, first reported the film’s location and filming dates. The magazine also reported the production was hiring additional actors ahead of the March 2020 start and will film throughout spring. The filming location has not been announced.

While not much is known yet, the news isn’t entirely surprising – Netflix announced in 2018 it had purchased a studio in Albuquerque. And New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an expanded tax credit to entice production companies to film in the state in early March.

The question remains: What kind of role will Farmington and the Four Corners have as the film industry continues to grow in New Mexico?

lweber@durangoherald.com