Dick Wolf boosts Illinois with Chicago Med filming

Major US TV producer Dick Wolf has boosted the production industry in Illinois once again with the launch of drama Chicago Med.

By Nick Goundry 2 Dec 2015

Dick Wolf boosts Illinois with Chicago Med filming

Major US TV producer Dick Wolf has boosted the production industry in Illinois once again with the launch of drama Chicago Med.

Wolf Films already has established locally-filmed successes Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, while separate ratings hit Empire (pictured) is also based in the city.

Chicago sort of became the obvious choice,” said Wolf Films president Peter Jankowski in comments to media outlet TheWrap. “It represents, I think Dick likes to say, ‘The most American of American cities’.”

“We make it easy and affordable for people to work here,” said Rich Moskal, director of the Chicago Film Office, in comments to the outlet. “There’s a 30% tax credit on local expenditures, so crew, talent, local vendors, any local money. It does not include out-of-town expenditures. It’s very specific to incentivise the use of Illinois crew, talent, and assets.”

Wolf’s shows and Empire are based at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, which has also hosted major productions like Divergent and the Transformers franchise.

Chicago featured as Gotham City in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and director Zack Snyder shot scenes locally for the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Filmmaker Spike Lee has been one of the most recent visitors to Illinois and Cinespace Chicago Film Studios with his controversial feature Chi-Raq. The film looks at the serious gang violence problems in poorer parts of Chicago that have led many residents to compare their neighbourhoods to war-torn Iraq.

For more on filming in Illinois, see our production guide.

Chicago sort of became the obvious choice,” said Wolf Films president Peter Jankowski in comments to media outlet TheWrap. “It represents, I think Dick likes to say, ‘The most American of American cities’.”

“We make it easy and affordable for people to work here,” said Rich Moskal, director of the Chicago Film Office, in comments to the outlet. “There’s a 30% tax credit on local expenditures, so crew, talent, local vendors, any local money. It does not include out-of-town expenditures. It’s very specific to incentivise the use of Illinois crew, talent, and assets.”

Wolf’s shows and Empire are based at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, which has also hosted major productions like Divergent and the Transformers franchise.

Chicago featured as Gotham City in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and director Zack Snyder shot scenes locally for the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Filmmaker Spike Lee has been one of the most recent visitors to Illinois and Cinespace Chicago Film Studios with his controversial feature Chi-Raq. The film looks at the serious gang violence problems in poorer parts of Chicago that have led many residents to compare their neighbourhoods to war-torn Iraq.

For more on filming in Illinois, see our production guide.

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