Search Results for: Empire

Fox’ “Empire” is expanding with a spinoff of the hit show and also with a new dramatic pilot called “Star,” being developed by “Empire” co-creator and executive producer Lee Daniels.

“Without question” there will be a spinoff of Fox’ mega hit series, Daniels declared. At the Television Critics Association Panel in Beverly Hills last Thursday.

That sound clinking champagne glasses you hear is coming from the deservedly ecstatic producers, cast and crew of “Empire,” which bowed on Fox network Wednesday night to a 3.8 rating and 9.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings.

The sole pilot that shot in Chicago this year, happily has turned into a series.  Fox TV announced yesterday that dramatic “Empire” was picked up as a series for a slot on Fox’ fall schedule, as confirmed by Betsy Steinberg of the Illinois Film Office.

“Empire” filmed here in March at Cinespace. 

Two notable Chicago institutions are presenting infotainment film series on dedicated themes: Author barbararochePosted on January 13, 2017January 13, 2017Categories Uncategorized

Recording company BAM Studios, a major provider of ADR to many of the network TV series and Hollywood features filming here, has opened its fifth ADR studio at Cinespace, after a summer of construction.

The dramedy, “Mercury in Retrograde,” Michael Glover Smith of White City Cinema,  filmmaker, author and film studies instructor, starts filming Aug. 4 for 15 days in Chicago and Southwest Michigan.

Smith, the screenwriter, will direct the shoot in Ukranian Village, Rogers Park and Wilmette and then move to 10 days of filming in historic Fennville, near Saugatuck.

All the dazzling alien holograms and more than 400 futuristic-looking human and alien computer interfaces, and other high tech device screens in the Earth vs. Alien epic “Independence Day: Resurgence,” were the work of Chicago’s Derek Frederickson and his Twisted Media team.

Frederickson was the playback graphics supervisor: on-set, in charge of all the playback graphics and animation for 20th Century Fox’ $200 million sci-fi disaster film that opens in theatres June 24 in 2D, 3D and IMAX.

Fox Television announced that two of its four dramatic pilots that filmed in Chicago this winter were greenlit for series production. While not officially stated, there’s strong reason to expect new series will return to Chicago.

“That would be extraordinarily good news,” notes Chicago Film Office director Rich Moskal. “This surge of activity points to the quality of our crews, talent and facilities and Chicago’s ability to be a major player in episodic television.”

Writer/director Steve Conrad, actor Gary Cole, TV show creators and “Empire’s” key crew members will be among the TV pros holding forth on the trials and triumphs of TV show production at the Chicago International Television Awards (CITA) April 18-20 at the AMC River East 21 theatres.

This marks the first time, CITA (formerly the Hugo Awards) is expanding its single TV awards evening into a three-day event.

Here’s your first look at the some of the first of 50 panels and workshops that will be presented at CIMMcon, April 16-17, the Midwest’s premiere Film, Music and Tech Conference.

Gray Talent Group client Justin Cornwell flew to Los Angeles this week to start filming his co-starring role with Bill Paxton in “Training Day,” a Warner Bros. pilot for CBS.

“The Founder,” a biopic of Ray Kroc, the Oak Park native who turned hamburger restaurant in Southern California into the world’s largest restaurant franchise, is now in preproduction and set for an Aug. 5 release.

Fox TV is back in Chicago for another pilot season.  The network has ordered three exciting one-hour pilots to be produced here from March through April – one more than the network filmed here in 2015.

After only 18 months in business, the Gill Hayes Talent Agency is expanding to Atlanta, with the move of Patti K. Gill, partner with Michelle Hayes, in early spring.

Writer/director Lucia Mauro’s second film and first feature “One Year Later,” currently in post, centers on Liz, a dedicated teacher of comparative literature, who struggles with her post-cancer life and changing priorities.

“ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE” is the Illinois Lottery slogan, except perhaps for the actual possibility of Northstar, hiring an Illinois production company for its Illinois Lottery commercials.

At its meeting Monday night, members of Local 476 Studio Mechanics nominated, without opposition, business manager Mark Hogan, to his fourth consecutive three-year term in the organization he’s belonged to and served for four decades. 

When the Mayne Stage music/food venue general manager Joe Prino, former Metro co-owner and one the most names famous in Chicago’s rock world, proposed a program partnership with WYCC/20 PBS general manager Pa

Tonight, the premiere of a Chicago-produced indie films will screen under the stars on the rooftop of Whole Foods in Lincoln Park, presented by Susie and Eddie Linker’s Elevated Films.

The expansion of Michael Nehs and Jonathan Bross’ full-service Periscope Post and Audio  over a full floor at Cinespace that began in May is expected to be finished in the next 90 days.

Claire Simon Casting will be making the first major change to its business since Claire Simon opened its doors 19 years ago, by moving into what she claims will be “the Taj Mahal of casting  offices” at Cinespace.

There will be more than one doctor in the house when NBC’s “Chicago Med” series settles into Chicago this summer to film alongside two Dick Wolf’s two other Chicago-set series at Cinespace.

This is it!

The 31st Chicago Latino Film Festival’s Thursday, April 9, Opening Night / Night of Venezuela film marks the only US theatrical run for “The Liberator,” a rousing epic about Simon Bolivar, who fought for Latin America’s independence against the Spanish Empire.

By the time Sun-Times had headlined Gov. Bruce Rauner’s demand that Cinespace return a $10 million state grant, studio president Alex Pissios had already sent the uncashed check, plus interest, to the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

In this season of gilt-edged motion picture awards, it is gratifying and rewarding that Chicago is making an appearance among the innumerable categories of endeavor that go into film production. 

Fox Television has greenlit two dramatic pilots for production in Chicago. “Love is a Four Letter Word” and “Runner” will headquarter and shoot at Cinespace, joining Fox’ hit “Empire” and NBC Universal’s “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD.”