NICOLAS CAGE CONVINCES INDIAN TRIBE TO SHOOT NEXT

Nicolas Cage persuaded an Indian tribe to let the film crew of Next use their sacred land.

The number one film Next was shot on location in a very remote and sacred section at the bottom of the Grand Canyon only accessible by helicopter which is inhabited by the Havasupai Indian tribe.

Nicolas Cage had a kindred spirit with the tribe because he took his wife Alice Kim there on one of their first dates.

“I had been to Havasupai on more than one occasion and I thought it was the most beautiful place in the world. It’s at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the Havasupai tribe took refuge there when they were being persecuted and lived there ever since. I really enjoy the relationship I had with the people there. I met the family and in fact I introduced my wife to them during our courtship.”

Prior to Next setting up camp with the Havasupai Indian tribe, no other film crew besides National Geographic was given access to their sacred land, but Cage was able to use his private contacts to gain permission from the tribal council.

“The area has a very personal relationship with me in my life and so when I started to do Next I thought, ‘why don’t we try going there,’ because it’s so beautiful I want to share it with the world. Lo and behold it wasn’t a very easy thing to do because they let very few people film there and so because they knew me they said it was OK and let us get in.”

The cast and crew who were helicoptered to the location had to have plenty of water to drink as it was 105 degrees at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.