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Reel Chicago is a daily digital magazine that covers the news in Chicago on all aspects of advertising, film, TV, media and production. The content is original, written by industry experts and contributing Op Eds
Before COVID-19 shut down production last March, Chicago-born director Lana Wachowski was deep into filming the fourth, the first of a new trilogy, Matrix film for Warner Bros. Since then, the Keanu Reeves-Carrie Anne-Moss sci-fi pic has resumed production in Belgium. Sister Lilly, who identified as trans along with her sister after the films came … Continue reading “Wachowski says ‘Matrix’ is transgender allegory”
Even with cities and their movie theaters cautiously reopening after being shut down for three months, studios are not risking box office failure with their big tentpole films. Just shortly after delaying Wonder Woman 1984 to October 2, comes word that Warner Bros. is halting the 2021 release of the highly-anticipated fourth The Matrix film. … Continue reading “Warner Bros. delays ‘Matrix’ sequel until 2022”
While the three original films – The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions – seemed to conclude the series – Neo and Trinity do die – there has been speculation that the world would return someday. That someday began last August when Warner Bros. officially announced that a fourth Matrix would happen. After … Continue reading “Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss on returning to ‘Matrix’”
Like other big budget productions, The Matrix 4, directed by Lana Wachowski, has shut down until the current Coronavirus pandemic has cleared enough for studios to feel safe to go back into production. That day seems like it will come sooner rather than later as sister outlet Reel 360 reports California will reopen for film production this Friday, June 12. … Continue reading “Lilly Wachowski admits “rage” inspired ‘Matrix’”
When the Wachowskis’ The Matrix premiered in 1999, it gave film audiences some of the most ground-breaking, jaw-dropping action sequences of the time. Who can forget in the opening minutes, Trinity (played by Carrie-Anne Moss) springing into the air, freezing and the camera spinning around her? Even if the subsequent sequels were not as beloved, … Continue reading “‘John Wick’ directors help out with ‘Matrix 4’ stunts”
If rumors are to be believed a new Matrix, helmed by the Wachowskis could be filming in town as early as next year There is a new rumor making the rounds that ComicBookMovie.com caught wind of. If it is to be believed, the once successful Matrix franchise will return to the big screen sooner than … Continue reading “Chatter: Is new ‘Matrix’ filming in Chicago 2020?”
There is a new episode on this week’s Chicago Med titled A Red Pill, A Blue Pill airing this Wednesday at 7 PM CST on NBC 5. As we build to the final episode of the season in just two weeks, this installment is titled “A Red Pill, A Blue Pill” (a reference to The … Continue reading “Chicago Med set pics and promo ‘A Red Pill, A Blue Pill’”
The directorial debut of Chicago native Christian Taylor with The Girl Who Wore Freedom is an education on empathy. This documentary being shown at the GI Film Festival San Diego tells the untold WWII stories of the men, women, and children of Normandy, France, who lived through German occupation, the D-Day invasion, and the liberation … Continue reading “Chicago director, Christian Taylor screening at GI Fest”
Production is currently underway on 8-Bit Christmas, a Max Original film from New Line directed by Michael Dowse. Set in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s, the film is a humorous and heartfelt look back at the adventures of childhood. The story centers on ten-year-old Jake Doyle’s (Winslow Fegley) herculean quest to get the latest and greatest … Continue reading “Chicago is setting for new HBO Ma-Xmas film”
Acclaimed actor Harry Lennix (The Matrix, Man of Steel) may have been born in Chicago, but soon the 56-year-old star, star of television’s hit series Blacklist will be from Mars – as Martian Manhunter in HBO Max’s upcoming Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The veteran stage and screen actor confirmed that his appearance will reveal that … Continue reading “Harry Lennix confirms he’s Martian Manhunter”
Rubenstein Business Law and Ornstein Schuler State Film Tax Credits present Independent Filmmaker Day, held Live via Zoom on November 18th & 19th, 2020. IFD helps independent creators from around the world develop new projects, connect within the industry, and champion collaborative and impactful storytelling at all stages. At each event, you will hear from acclaimed industry experts … Continue reading “Independent Filmmaker Day on Zoom November 18-19”
In continuing recognition of Renetta McCann, chief inclusion experience officer at Publicis Groupe, whom the Chicago Advertising Federation (CAF) honored with its 25th Silver Medal Award earlier this year, advertising industry leaders kicked off a special, three-part virtual event last week to highlight McCann and her important role in the community. The CAF Legacy & Leadership Series … Continue reading “CAF Honors Renetta McCann of Publicis Groupe”
To say DC FanDome was a hit with fans would be a mild assessment. As millions of DC fans tuned in from around the world to see the virtual event Saturday, they were treated to new footage from several highly anticipated projects. One of the most anticipated project is Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which has … Continue reading “‘The Batman’ to shoot in Chicago September 30?”
NOTE FROM EDITOR, BARBARA ROCHE: Although Reel Chicago primarily covers and promotes films made in Chicago while our sister publication, Reel 360 covers national news, I could not miss this opportunity to promote a Kevin Bacon film no matter where it was filmed. If you have worked in the Chicago film industry for a while, … Continue reading “Exclusive Look: Kevin Bacon’s YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT”
Like other big budget productions, The Matrix 4, directed by Lana Wachowski, has shut down until the current Coronavirus pandemic has cleared enough for studios to feel safe to go back into production. The third sequel to 1999’s original blockbuster was co-directed by Wachowski and her sister Lilly. Lilly is not returning to the co-director’s chair … Continue reading “Lilly Wachowski on why she left Hollywood”
Asian Americans have been a silent voice in American Media since the birth of cinema. While many other demographics have found a way to break through to mainstream markets, few filmmakers and actors of Asian descent have risen to the top. Asians currently make up the majority of the world’s population, and continue to be … Continue reading “Zoom Interview: Richard Song of Eleven04”
Noah Kadner, Editor-in-chief at AbelCine goes Behind the Scenes with The Slow Mo Guys. The Slow Mo Guys are creator/cinematographer Gavin Free and co-host Dan Gruchy. Free and Gruchy primarily use a Phantom Flex4K high-speed camera to capture various forms of natural and physical phenomenon in super slow motion at 1,000 frames per second. Popular episode subjects include … Continue reading “High-Speed cameras and ‘The Slow Mo Guys’”
Cinepocalypse — Chicago’s premiere annual genre festival, produced and presented by the Music Box Theatre — is proud to bring in the New Year with the announcement of Katie Rife as new Senior Programmer of the festival. Rife, a Senior Writer for The A.V. Club who previously helmed the festival’s shorts programming, joins ahead of … Continue reading “Cinepocalypse names Katie Rife new Senior Programmer”
Renetta McCann, Chief Inclusion Experience Officer, Publicis Groupe, was today named the recipient of the Chicago Advertising Federation’s 2019 Silver Medal Award. The CAF Silver Medal Award recognizes a distinguished member of the Chicago advertising community for outstanding career accomplishments in the areas of: creative ability, contributions to the general advancement of advertising, contributions to … Continue reading “Renetta McCann to receive CAF’s Silver Medal Award”
Optimus’ Kathryn Schade, Cutters’ Magdalena Hernandez, Another Country’s Logan Vines take first places in Graphics, Editorial, and Sound Design Camp Kuleshov, AICP’s annual trailer competition for assistants and junior-level employees at member companies, challenges entrants with re-imagining or reworking films by creating new trailers that cast the movie in a different genre than originally released. … Continue reading “2019 Camp Kuleshov Winners”
The annual LGBTQ+ fest will screen work by Lilly Wachowski, Jesús Canchola Sánchez, Michael Cicetti, Wendy Jo Carlton, Laura Madalinski, and more Reeling, Chicago’s LGBTQ+ film festival, will host international, national and local actors and filmmakers at its 37th edition, unspooling September 19-29 at Music Box Theatre, Landmark Theatres’ Century Centre Cinema and Chicago Filmmakers. … Continue reading “Reeling to showcase a load of Chicago-connected films”
From ‘Shiny Shrimps’ to ‘Scream Queen,’ the annual Windy City tradition promises to entertain, inspire, amuse, arouse and break a few hearts Reeling, the second-oldest LGBTQ film festival in the world and a beloved Chicago cultural institution for more than 35 years, kicks off fall with an exciting slate of movies that showcases the diversity … Continue reading “2019 Reeling LGBTQ film festival”
A cornucopia of classic genre screenings, premieres, and events to take place at Chicago’s iconic Music Box Theatre. From June 21st through June 28th, a cornucopia of genre screenings and events will take place at the Music Box Theatre for its second annual Cinepocalypse. The film festival grinds together a gory cocktail of … Continue reading “Cinepocalypse fest from June 21 – 28 at Music Box”
Burnett celebrates the top-performing agencies in global network Last week in Chicago, Leo Burnett Worldwide hosted the 20th annual Leo Burnett “Agency of the Year.” This global celebration recognized the best agencies in the global network by reviewing what Burnett has based their credos on — creative prowess and business results. Leo Burnett Beirut took … Continue reading “Latest from Leo B, McDonald’s, and the box office”
Best-selling author Marcus Sakey compounded the challenge of going from book to film long before he agreed to adapt his latest novel, Afterlife, into a screenplay for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagination Entertainment.
“My goal is entertainment for smart people,” says the Chicago-based writer. “Stuff that’s compelling and well flushed out and feels real.”
That’s all for “The Clusters.” Netflix has canceled drama SENSE8 after two seasons.
The diverse series was created and directed by Chicagoans Lilly and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix, Speed Racer, Jupiter Rising) and filmed in Chicago and at numerous locations around the country and internationally.
“After 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the SENSE8 cluster is coming to an end,” said Cindy Holland, VP of Netflix original content.
Independent agency The Escape Pod announced today that it has promoted Leah Hattendorf to Senior Vice President, Director of Strategy. In her new role, Leah will continue to lead The Escape Pod’s Research and Strategy group, in addition to spearheading new business efforts and building out additional revenue streams for the agency.
Cutters Studios’ up-and-coming assistants were the big winners in AICE Chicago’s 14th annual 2015 Camp Kuleshov Chicago trailer editing contest, going home with a total of five awards.
The Chicago Advertising Federation announced the 2015 Advertising Woman of the Year is Trish Chuipek, president, Midwest Region of global media OMD, an Omnicom division, who will honored by a Chicago Advertising Federation luncheon this fall.
A trailer for “Jupiter Ascending,” the Wachowskis latest action/adventure sci-fi epic, gives you a mouth-agape look at what is possibly their most jammed-packed visual effects epic out of their 22 films, to date.
The University of Chicago’s new Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts holds especially tantalizing possibilities for cinema and Chicago’s film community, given that the massive new building houses two spaces especially designed for visual media presentations.
Filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski have been on a media blitz lately, popping up in national magazines, local newspapers and radio. What makes this is a huge story in itself is that the Beverly natives are notoriously secretive and rarely if ever give interviews. Even the CIA is envious of the tight security at their CGI Kinowerks studios in Ravenswood.
WE HEAR that Lana and Andy Wachowski want to make their next big budget, big name, big effects movie in Chicago. Which makes sense since they operate out of their super secret North Side Ravenswood Kinowerks post and effects studio, and Andy has a home here. Their project is “Jupiter Ascending,” the duo’s first major science fiction action franchise screenplay since The Matrix.
New York’s billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently gave a $6 million grant to Mayor Rahm Emanuel to use for various city programs. One of them is finding ways to create greater energy savings, a top item on Emanuel’s agenda for a greener Chicago.
But when it comes to green buildings, however, few can compare with Lana and Andy Wachowski’s environmentally efficient Ravenswood Kinowerks postproduction and effects studio.
The pan-European team behind Great River Productions, LLC has set up shop in Rock Island to produce its $15 million 3D motion capture fantasy feature, “Troll: Tale of a Tale,” over the next two-and-a-half years.
Great River Productions will hire an estimated 100 animators, artists and crew from Illinois. Modeling starts in early January and casting begins in late February.
There are a number of firsts associated with this film, said Davenport-based J. Douglas Miller of the Quad-Cities Film Coalition, who worked for two years to bring and keep the project in the Quad-Cities.
The Chicago White Sox is the first team in any league to utilize a realistic 3D environment of US Cellular Field to showcase sponsorships and corporate partnerships in action, created and produced by LimeGreen Entertainment Group.
“This new platform gives sponsors a more realistic idea of how their brand will come to life during US Cellular Field games and other events,” said Mike Stratta, LimeGreen managing partner.
HoneyTech’s security training videos are eminently watchful, “mostly CGI with a high-tech feel– think ?Tron’ or ?The Matrix’ — because we wanted to change things,” says company president Lance Spitzner.
That’s one reason the Naperville-based company has expanded from two to nine employees in the past year. An upcoming video will be used to train government employees throughout the United Arab Emirates.
“Video training is a great way to reach a lot of people around the world,” says Spitzner.
THE SUPER SECRETIVE WACHOWSKIS may be ramping up their next movie, with Huffington Post publisher and politico Ariana Huffington, of all people, involved in it. Photos she posted on Twitter suggest she has a role in their story about the war in Iraq from the POV of a futuristic society.
Since their “The Matrix” triology in 2003, Andy and Lana Wachowski have directed only one movie, last year’s “Speed Racer.” If a new movie is in the works, count on all the special effects coming from their fortress-like high-tech studio at 5645 N. Ravenswood.
THE SUPER SECRETIVE WACHOWSKIS may be ramping up their next movie, with Huffington Post publisher and politico Ariana Huffington, of all people, involved in it. Photos she posted on Twitter suggest she has a role in their story about the war in Iraq from the POV of a futuristic society.
Since their “The Matrix” triology in 2003,
Andy and Lana Wachowski have directed only one movie, last year’s “Speed Racer.” If a new movie is in the works, count on all the special effects coming from their fortress-like high-tech studio at 5645 N. Ravenswood.
The Wachowskis’ new North Side post and special effects studio will give Chicago the Hollywood glitz it has long needed to move it into the foreground of production.
The native South Siders of “The Matrix” fame, will open a high tech facility at 5645 N. Ravenswood in what had been the Ravenswood Studio, a scenic design shop.
The Wachowskis’ new North Side post and special effects studio will give Chicago the Hollywood glitz it has long needed to move it into the foreground of production.
The Wachowskis’ new North Side post and special effects studio will give Chicago the Hollywood glitz it has long needed to move it into the foreground of production.
The native South Siders of “The Matrix” fame, will open a high tech facility at 5645 N. Ravenswood in what had been the Ravenswood Studio, a scenic design shop.
Given the Wachowskis well-known propensity for privacy, little is known about the studio operation, such as the official date of opening, staff size or whether local artists will be hired or all imported from L.A.
Senior Flame artist Chris Ryan?whose eye-popping list of Hollywood blockbusters includes “300” and “Titanic”?has set up Chaos Studios, a viral collective of some of the best 2D and 3D artists in the business.
“We work with the same hardware and software you’ll find at any large post house,” said Ryan of his associates.
But the big difference is, “We’re home-based for now. I have a fully-equipped studio in my basement and my partners?who I’ve freelanced with for the past 15 years?work the same way,” he said.
I recently came across an ad on Chicago Craigslist soliciting shorts for distribution via a new website, and?more importantly?promising payment.
I decided to look into the company in question because I assumed that it must be local. I was wrong. Although Motion Matrix isn’t based here, it has a setup worth hearing about.
Their site, Motionflicks.com, features streamable short films, specialized content aimed at a base of monthly subscribers, filmmaking advice and more.
While his “Ray” colleagues wait to see if the movie wins Best Picture and Jamie Foxx is acclaimed best actor, Harry J. Lennix is hanging out on the North Shore.
The native Chicagoan and “Ray” co-star is taking a break from his busy movie career to star in Northlight Theatre’s riveting production of Thomas Gibbons’ drama “Permanent Collection” through March 6.
Transcending his everyday self and disappearing into roles is something that Lennix has been doing on stage since his days at Northwestern University in the early 1980s.
Early the other morning Emoto Music’s executive producer Paul Schultz got a harried call from Cramer/Krasselt clients. They needed to tweak a sound track Emoto had produced. Could the change be made, ah, in time for a 4 p.m. client meeting?
Sure, said Schultz, although the clients were in Chicago and the track would be revised in Emoto’s Santa Monica studios.
By 11 a.m., the clients were comfortably seated in Emoto’s one-of-a-kind studios in front of a giant, 5×7-ft.
Dreaming Tree Films continues its combination of heavy-hitting sponsors and teen apprenticeships with a city-funded feature and a major expansion of its Wrigley-financed “Fresh Films” online series.
Next summer the four-year-old Dreaming Tree will expand its “Fresh Films” filmmaking contest series to 10 cities, up from two cities last summer.
Three Hollywood stars from Chicago will be honored at Showtime’s 8th annual Black Perspectives “Homecoming Celebration” Saturday, Oct. 16 at Thorne Auditorium.
Honorees are Chicago resident, stage and screen veteran Irma P. Hall (“Collateral,” “The Ladykillers”), with nearly 50 films to her credit; Robert Townsend, with close to 20 films to his credit, including “Hollywood Shuffle,” “The Five Heartbeats;” and Harry J. Lennix, (“The Human Stain,” “Matrix Reloaded”).
Presenters are Bonnie DeShong, Stella Foster, Jeanne Sparrow and Robin Robinson.
MOVIEMAKING AT THE MUSEUM. A tremendous amount of work went into “Action: An Adventure in Moviemaking,” the exhibit at the The Museum of Science & Industry. Presented by BankOne, the exhibit goes through the gamut of filmmaking, and includes such fun stuff as more than 100 artifacts including costumes from “X2: X-Men United” and the MagLev car from “Minority Report.” There’s a “Meet the Filmmakers” section Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m.
Armed with a shoestring budget, a 24P DV camera and a vision of the world’s end, Nathyn Brendan Masters is out to make a Christian, low-budget answer to “The Matrix.”
The stone-faced, sunglass-sporting heavies are not computer enforcers, but agents of the false Messiah, in Masters’ “The 4th Beast: Mask of the Antichrist”.
Jon Ross stars as an Iraq War veteran recruited to protect a CD containing information about the Antichrist from a group of rogue priests hunting for the CD, as the prophecies of Revelations begin to unfold.
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Walking Shadows partners Kirk Sanders (left) and Jon Gaunt
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