More indie movies and TV shows filmed in Chicago last year

Film crews were very busy in Chicago and clocked in a record year for 2017, according to the mayor’s office.

There were 580 projects that recorded a total of 2,404 production days which translates to $423 million in job creation and expenditures, the mayor’s office said. The Chicago Film Office issued 2,127 permits for these projects which is a 10 percent increase from 2016.

Not everyone was pleased with the frequent filming throughout streets, neighborhoods and apartment buildings. Some downtown Chicagoans and aldermen had run out of patience for short notice ‘no parking’ signs and towed cars. In North Lawndale, residents were upset to learn a corner store advertising milk and eggs was really just a set for the television show, The Chi.

One of the flashiest productions this year was the filming of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Rampage. The filming shut down parts of Wacker Drive and involved low flying helicopters, simulated gunfire and apparently someone on a jet ski on the Chicago River.

In 2017, eight full season series, plus parts of two others, filmed in Chicago. The NBC Chicago shows—Chicago Fire, Chicago PD and Chicago Med have all renewed for additional seasons. Earlier in January Chicago PD celebrated filming its 100th episode.

FOX’s Empire, Netflix’s Easy and Showtime’s The Chi and Electric Dreams will also be filming in the city again. And Shameless will come back for it’s seventh consecutive season.

A pilot from Comedy Central, South Side, and Pop TV’s Hot Date filmed in Chicago and are expected to air this year.

As for movies, studio features including Widows, Captive State and parts of Rampage were filmed here. Indie films, that were mostly locally produced include The Pages, Hala, What They Had, Soul Sessions and Book of Leah.

• “Rampage” latest Hollywood film bent on destroying downtown Chicago [Curbed Chicago]