Naman Shrestha
Based on the series ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ created by Albert S. Ruddy, Christopher Canaan, Leslie Greif, and Paul Haggis, The CW’s ‘Walker: Independence’ is a western drama series developed by Anna Fricke that serves as the prequel to the original show ‘Walker.’ Set in the late 1800s, it follows Abigail ‘Abby’ Walker, who witnesses her husband, the new sheriff of the small town of Independence, getting shot and killed while they are heading out West. Soon, she meets a charming rogue named Hoyt Rawlins, and they both make their journey toward Independence.
In the small town, the pair comes across several locals haunted by their respective pasts. Blinded by vengeance, Abby believes that the new sheriff is responsible for her husband’s death. The driving themes of revenge and justice, along with the brilliant onscreen performances of a talented ensemble comprising Katherine McNamara, Matt Barr, Katie Findlay, and Greg Hovanessian, keep the viewers hooked on the series. On top of it, the 19th-century setting against the backdrop of a barren western town makes one wonder where ‘Walker: Independence’ is shot.
Walker: Independence Filming Locations
‘Walker: Independence’ is filmed in New Mexico, specifically in Santa Fe County. As per reports, the pilot was shot between late March and April 2022. A few months later, after getting picked up by The CW, the principal photography for the rest of the episodes commenced in late July 2022 and wrapped up in early December of the same year. Now, without further ado, let’s travel back to the 1800s and find out exactly where the Western show is shot!
Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Walker: Independence’ are lensed in Santa Fe County, the third most populous county of New Mexico. For the most part, the filming unit utilizes the facilities of Santa Fe Studios at 1 Santa Fe Studios Road, just outside Santa Fe. They reportedly use two 20,000-square-foot soundstages, 26,000 square feet of office space, a mill building, and 60 acres of backlot area to construct additional sets. All of these amenities allow them to create a set for the town of Independence, Texas, in the late 1800s.
In an early October 2022 interview with Albuquerque Journal, Justin Johnson Cortez (Calian) opened up about his experience shooting the pilot in Santa Fe. He said, “When we shot the pilot, I fell in love with all of the cultures in New Mexico. I’m a Native American, and I’ve been looking forward to exploring more with my family. My kids saw Indian Market in the summer, and it’s been amazing.”
On the other hand, Lawrence Kao (Kai) sat down with Distractify in late October 2022 and confirmed that the set for the town of Independence was not created specifically for ‘Walker: Independence.’ He elaborated that it “…has existed from shows from before. But we’re jumping on it and adding things to it. Maybe refurbishing some of the structures or making things look more like the town of Independence.”
Read More: Is Walker Based on a True Story?
