“PUBLIC ENEMIES,” with a reported $100 million-budget that provided a bank vault of welcome revenue for Illinois and Wisconsin (although unappreciated by Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle ), is grossed $26.2 million over the five day July 4th weekend.
The Michael Mann movie opened in 3,337 theatres nationally on July 1. The production spent $47 million in Chicago, which gave the state an indirect economic impact of $117 million. It spent $7.5 million in Wisconsin.
THE LATEST LOTTERY SPOT is an all-Chicago/Illinois production for a welcome change. Foundation Content has created and produced a 3D all-graphics spot aimed at the Hispanic market, through the Illinois Lottery’s agency, Energy BBDO.
In Foundation’s L.A. office, heavy hitter Beth Goss joined as senior strategist office. She is a former Cartoon Network EVP and branded content head at NBC/Universal. “Beth is helping us expand our business into longer content formats and webisodes,” notes co-president Samantha Hart. Goss joins producer Stacy Paris in the L.A. office.
Sidebar: I-Cubed Media’s Arturo is editing the general market Lottery spots that were recently produced by 59 Films and directed by New York’s Harold Einstein.
NEW EPISODES OF “LEVERAGE,” for the second season of the TNT series, set in Chicago but shot in Portland and starring Timothy Hutton, will screen at an exclusive event July 8 at the hot new Wit Hotel on State and Lake.
After the screening, executive producers John Rogers (“Transformers”) and Chris Downey (“The King of Queens”) will be skyped in on a video screen for state-of-the-art Q&A.
BRAVO’S NEWEST REALITY SHOW, “Untitled Art Project,” seeks emerging and semi-established artists to compete for places and cash prizes and a national tour in the new series. Jessica Sarah Parker hosts the new show.
Auditions will be held July 18 at the Sullivan Galleries of the Art Institute. Artists for artists who work in one or many mediums. They are asked to bring a portfolio, resume and easily transportable original art.
