Chicago is bleeding business. Not a grindhouse film bleed. But more like a Tarantino-esque wound. Or wounds.
As the Los Angeles production pipeline sputters—on-location filming plunged 22.4% in Q1 alone—Chicago should be surging. But instead, we’re watching production dollars and jobs rerouted to Atlanta, New York, Manitoba, Toronto, New Mexico, New Orleans, and the UK.
And while those cities aggressively court productions with robust tax credits, dedicated studio space, and proactive infrastructure, Chicago is at risk of becoming the middle child of American production—immensely talented but chronically overlooked.
That’s not just a missed opportunity. It’s a crisis. A potential crisis we can’t ignore.
As Los Angeles continues to lose ground in on-location production and sound stage occupancy, Chicago has the rare opportunity to assert itself as a competitive filming location and as a legitimate creative home for studios, writers’ rooms, and long-term productions.
FilmLA’s most recent report delivered a grim portrait for the entertainment capital: filming activity dropped a staggering 22.4% in Q1 2025. TV dramas saw a 38.9% drop in shoot days, while overall television work plummeted more than 30%. Feature film production fell by nearly 29%. In short, Hollywood is contracting.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s infrastructure is quietly booming. With over 1.8 million square feet of studio space between Cinespace, CineCity, Chicago Studio City, The Fields Studio and other facilities—not to mention competitive tax incentives and a deepening talent pool—the city is primed to take advantage of this production power vacuum. But opportunity alone isn’t enough. If Chicago wants to lead the next wave of U.S. production, it must act decisively and aggressively.
So, how does Chicago capitalize on L.A.’s slump and reposition itself as the Midwest’s content capital? It starts with vision, infrastructure, and a no-bullshit playbook to lure studios, showrunners, and production companies back.
- Grabbing indie productions and funnel them here. That includes writers’ rooms. Showrunners and studios should know Chicago isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a base. Writers’ rooms for shows based in Chicago should be in Chicago. Not Burbank. And if they want to feel the soul of their stories, we should give them incentives to set up shop in the neighborhoods they write about.
- Outmaneuver coastal fatigue. We’re cheaper than L.A. or New York, grittier than Atlanta, and more accessible than New Orleans. The talent is here. The hunger is here. The infrastructure could be here—with the right investments and a little less complacency.
- Play to our strengths: commercial production, docuseries, and reality content. These formats are still thriving while studio budgets shrink. Agencies and brands—many of whom are headquartered here—should be incentivized to keep their content creation local. If L.A. is scaling down, Chicago can scale smart.
- Extend—and expand—the Illinois Film Production Tax Credit, not just maintaining it. It means pushing the city and state to establish a permanent creative liaison that streamlines permitting, cuts red tape, and actively courts major productions. It means turning Cinespace into a national beacon again and ensuring indie productions have access to space and support.
And let’s not forget the streaming giants. With Netflix investing billions into production infrastructure, and Amazon, Apple, and HBO eyeing efficient regional hubs, Chicago must make a case—boldly and loudly—that we’re ready to be more than just the city that gave them a few good exteriors.
Studio Task Force
At the studio level, the city should market its long-term value to decision-makers. Chicago can offer something L.A. can’t right now: stability. Long-term lease incentives, concierge-style relocation support for studio heads, and direct outreach through a newly formed “Studio Task Force” could help seal multi-season deals and large-scale production investments.
And with the Illinois Film Production Tax Credit now offering a 15% diversity bonus, the incentive is there to create opportunity for underrepresented talent—something studios are under immense pressure to do.
The city should also look to replicate success stories. Shows like The Chi, One Chicago, and The Bear prove that rooted, authentic storytelling doesn’t require a West Coast zip code. By hosting quarterly industry events or a dedicated “Chicago Production Weekend,” the city could build direct relationships with WGA showrunners and development execs. Add to that the low cost of living, centralized location for travel, and a sophisticated, creative workforce, and Chicago becomes more than a backup plan. It becomes a home.
The Windy City already boasts one of the most iconic cityscapes in the country, a deep bench of seasoned crew, and a growing number of boutique production shops, post houses, and commercial talent. But we need more: more stages, more housing, more tax incentives, and more collaboration between government and industry stakeholders.
This isn’t about civic pride. It’s about economic power. Every shoot day lost to Georgia or Ontario is hundreds of jobs we’ll never see. Every series set here but written and filmed elsewhere chips away at the authenticity and opportunity of Chicago storytelling.
We need to stop admiring our potential and start activating it.
While Hollywood figures out how to recover from its production crash, Chicago should be busy laying down roots and rolling out the welcome mat. Let L.A. chase the past. Let Chicago build the future.
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