Emilio Estevez announces 'Young Guns 3: Dead or Alive'

SANTA FE — In a blaze of glory, Emilio Estevez made a surprise appearance at the Capitol to announce the filming of “Young Guns 3: Dead or Alive” in New Mexico.

A crowd filled the Rotunda to see the celebrity Thursday morning.

“I’m very excited to be back in New Mexico, where I really considered it a home for me,” Estevez said.

His announcement of the third installment of the “Young Guns” franchise, after a three-and-a-half-decade wait, elicited cheers.

“I’ve heard all the jokes,” Estevez said. “’Old Guns,’ ‘Ancient Guns.’”

The actor was quick to add, however, that he was proud to be “making a film about the Southwest in the Southwest,” especially one that highlights the “diversity of New Mexico.”

“This film embraces Latin and Native American culture in ways 1 and 2 didn’t delve into,” he said.

Estevez said “Young Guns 3,” which he co-wrote with John Fusco, has been in preproduction for four years, and filming will begin this fall. He will direct the film and reprise his role as Billy the Kid and will be joined by original cast members Lou Diamond Phillips and Christian Slater, according to a news release.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham introduced the “Gen X icon.”

She called New Mexico the best place to film “anywhere around the world,” also predicting that the Albuquerque Media Arts Academy “will become the best production and training school in the nation.”

From “The Cleaning Lady” to “Dark Winds,” Lujan Grisham highlighted popular shows shot in New Mexico.

“For every $1 we invest in the film industry, we get back $8 to the state,” she said.

The crowd also stood in prayer to acknowledge the recent deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

Other actors and film officials made appearances, including Deanna Allison, an Albuquerque resident of Diné heritage known for her work in “Dark Winds.” Allison noted the massive film presence New Mexico has curated over the past years.

“New Mexico has really become something that everyone is talking about,” she said.

Like Estevez, she emphasized the importance of “representation in storytelling.”

Melissa Chambers, a local character actor, recounted some of her career highlights, from “riding a bus with Cybill Shepherd in ‘Being Rose’” to having her “first onscreen kiss with John Malkovich in ‘Opus,’” which opens this weekend.

Chambers reminded everyone that the film industry in New Mexico isn’t just about attracting big stars but creating “real, lasting jobs for countless hardworking New Mexicans.”