Written by on Mar 17, 2015. Posted in On Location

New TV pilots film on location in Chicago

Two new TV pilots are filming on location at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios in Illinois. Crime drama Runner is based on a Turkish TV series and is set in the shadowy world of the illegal arms trade. Love is a Four Letter Word is an ensemble drama looking at race and gender.

Chicago has a thriving TV industry with successful dramas Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, both from veteran producer Dick Wolf. The city is also now home to music mogul drama Empire (right), which has quickly become one of the break-out hits of the year in US television.

“Thanks to the investment we made to build Cinespace Studios, Illinois is now the top destination outside Hollywood for the next summer blockbuster or TV series,” said Illinois Governor Pat Quinn shortly before leaving office.

“Empire is the latest major production to come to Illinois, creating hundreds of good jobs and generating millions of dollars in economic investment.”

Should Runner and Love is a Four Letter Word win series commissions they may choose to relocate, but filming their pilots in Chicago is a short-term win for the city.

Chicago saw a TV production surge in 2013 as the city hosted six different series and filming increased by 20% on the previous year, but the trend slowed in 2014.

Illinois faces stiff competition from other parts of North America that offer better filming incentives. The high-profile Young Adult franchise Divergent is set in a futuristic Chicago but relocated to Atlanta for Insurgent, the second movie of the franchise.

(Image: Chuck Hodes/Fox)