Chicago boasts record year of production

The Chicago and Illinois Film Offices are celebrating a record year for television, film and media production activity in Chicago and around the state.

The Chicago Film Office permitted 522 projects in 2019 and now ranks first in the Midwest region for production, third in the country for commercial advertising production, and in the top six nationally for overall production.

According to officials, those productions estimated an economic impact of nearly $560m in local job creation and expenditures.

"Illinois' film industry is booming, adding millions of dollars and thousands of quality jobs into the state's economy each year. By extending the film tax credit, Governor Pritzker has proven his commitment to supporting the industry and ensuring it continues to succeed and grow" said Peter Hawley, director of the Illinois Film Office.

The record year of filming brought in 15,000 new non-extra job hires, generating over $350 million in wages, officials said.

Eleven full season series and portions of several others filmed in Chicago throughout 2019.

One of the most high-profile was season 4 of FX Network's popular series Fargo, starring Chris Rock and Jack Huston, which is set in 1950s Kansas City, but filmed entirely in Chicago.

Also transforming Chicago into Gotham City was the series Batwoman, starring Ruby Rose, filming large-scale stunts and driving shots in the central business district.

The three Chicago-based series from NBC — Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago PD — all renewed for an additional season. Plus, Showtime’s The Chi, FOX’s Next, Comedy Central’s South Side, HBO’s Run and Station 11 all filmed on location within the city.