‘Stand’ Delivers

Moviegoers this weekend finally have the chance to see how that scene fits into Arnold Schwarzenegger’s newest movie, “The Last Stand,” which opened in theaters on Friday.

Albuquerque doubled for Las Vegas, Nev., in the $30-million action flick, which was filmed in Belen and the Duke City for nearly three months last year.

Ann Lerner, film liaison for the city of Albuquerque, described how the crews built a trestle on the roof of City Hall.

Rodrigo Santoro, who plays Frank Martinez, carries Lewis Dinkum, played by Johny Knoxville, in “The Last Stand.”

“Then actors and cameras, on zip lines, went from our building to 505 Marquette,” she said.

Aside from locations Downtown, crews also used the former Albuquerque Tribune building to recreate a control room for the FBI.

Brian Fantl, Senior VP/COO of the Albuquerque Publishing Co., said crews began setting up in the former Tribune office in November 2011 and worked through February 2012.

“They probably shot for two weeks in the building,” he says. “Aside from making the newsroom an FBI control room, the crews also transformed the old photo department into an interrogation room.”

“The Last Stand” is about Sheriff Ray Owens, played by Schwarzenegger, of Sommerton Junction, Ariz., a sleepy border town.

After a notorious drug kingpin escapes from an FBI prisoner convoy, Owens creates his own posse of locals to help protect the town.

One of those sidekicks is Rodrigo Santoro, who plays Frank Martinez, a military retiree whom Owens deputizes.

Santoro is a Brazilian actor who grew up watching Schwarzenegger movies and says Schwarzenegger was one of the reasons he got into acting.

He says getting the opportunity to share the screen with the former California governor was an amazing opportunity.

“Watching him on film and meeting him in person was totally different,” he said from his Los Angeles home. “Because of the characters he plays, you would think that he’s always serious. But he really cares about all the people around him. He would come in and do a scene and then talk with a lot of us while getting ready for the next scene. He surprised me with how down to earth he was. And to be part of his comeback film and share screen time with him was a dream for me.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his return to film in “The Last Stand,” which was filmed in Albuquerque and Belen.

Santoro has been seen in films such as “300,” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “I Love You Phillip Morris” and “Love Actually.”

Yet, “The Last Stand” marks the first time the 37-year-old actor was cast in an action film.

“I had to keep myself fit and make sure that I stayed in shape, which was difficult to do because of the great food that we had out there,” he said. “We were out for nearly two months in New Mexico, and I was doing all of my own stunts. It was thrilling to get this opportunity to stretch myself as an actor.”

While in the Land of Enchantment, Santoro said he traveled throughout the state, often taking trips to Santa Fe.

“I went to Ojo Caliente and Santa Fe a lot,” he said. “I’ve been to many places in the world, but there is something about those areas that my spirit was at peace. I love how the architecture is integrated into nature. It all coexists well.”

Aside from seeing some of the sights, Santoro also got many opportunities to ride horses in Albuquerque.

“I grew up on a ranch, and I was lucky enough to get some riding time in,” he says. “The whole experience was like a big vacation for me.”

Santoro wasn’t the only actor who took in the state’s scenery.

Schwarzenegger often tweeted photos of himself — from shopping at Walmart in Belen to taking the tram up to the Sandia Mountains.

“We were all like a family, and we made a pretty solid movie,” he said. “I’ll definitely look for movies to be part of if they are in New Mexico. I’m constantly recommending the state to lots of my family and friends.”

Lerner said it was exciting to have the production here and enjoyed working with cast and crews in getting locations secured.

And as for those action scenes from the rooftop of City Hall: “Another example of how cooperative and film friendly the city of Albuquerque is for filmmaking,” she said.

The former newsroom of the Albuquerque Tribune was transformed into a FBI control room.