Representatives from 20th Century Fox are trying to determine if actors took American Indian artefacts while filming Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials at a private New Mexico ranch.
Diamond Tail Ranch manager Roch Hart said that following comments by the film’s star, Dylan O’Brien, the studio is investigating claims the cast took artefacts and will seek to return any stolen items.
“They want to make it right,” Hart said. “Right now, we don’t know if anything was removed, but we are taking the claims very seriously.”
Chris Petrikin, a spokesman for 20th Century Fox, confirmed on Tuesday that the studio was looking the matter.
“Twentieth Century Fox and The Scorch Trials production team take these issues very seriously and we are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter,” Petrikin said in a statement. “If any artefacts were mishandled or removed from the location, we will do everything to ensure they are restored.”
During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Michael last month, O’Brien said cast members took artefacts from the private ranch north of Albuquerque, despite warnings not to do so.
“They gave us this big speech when we got there to shoot, and they said, ‘Don’t take anything. Respect the grounds’,” O’Brien said. “They were very strict about littering and don’t take any artefacts like rocks, skulls ... anything like that. And everyone just takes stuff, you know, obviously.”
O’Brien, 24, didn’t say what was taken, but he said later illnesses were blamed on the artefacts that were removed from the ranch. O’Brien said he also got sick, but it was unclear if he also admitted stealing any items.
A representative for O’Brien did not immediately return an email from the AP.
Diamond Tail Ranch, which sits between the Sandia and San Felipe pueblos, is near the historic Hispanic village of Placitas and an abandoned mining community. Jeep tours of the area bring tourists to the mountainous region where artefacts and petroglyphs can be spotted up close.
