Illinois
Is Illinois’ film tax credit luring Hollywood to the heartland?
While Chicago has long been used as a stand-in for fictional and real settings, the suburbs have also become a destination for film and television companies seeking a specific look.
“Illinois can be everything except a desert,” said Christine Dudley, Executive Director for the Illinois Production Alliance. “There’s the architecture, the lake, the suburbs, the forest preserves and even farmland. And it’s all within a few minutes of each other.”
But what’s making the suburbs — and other parts of state — look so attractive is the bargain producers get for filming in Illinois.
HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” starring Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller is shot in the suburbs, mainly in Warrenville and Lockport.
Courtesy of HBO
The state’s film production tax credit allows qualified productions to receive a 30% transferable tax break on most production costs and certain salaries. Producers can also receive 15% more for hiring workers living in “economically disadvantaged areas.” In return, these productions generate jobs and draw business from outside the region.
According to a new report commissioned by Dudley’s group, the state’s film incentive is the biggest box office draw for Hollywood. A survey of producers included in the report indicates more than 90% of the productions shot in Illinois would not have occurred without the incentive.
“Productions are all looking for where the incentive is, that’s No. 1,” said Peter Hawley, director of the Illinois Film Office. “And we have a very strong one.”
Plenty of recent productions are taking advantage of that.
Producers of the television series “Fargo” used Elgin and other suburban locales as a stand-in for Kansas City a few years ago. Acclaimed director David Fincher turned downtown St. Charles into upstate New York for his recent Netflix film, “The Killer.” And parts of Warrenville and Lockport are used as substitutes for Manhattan, Kansas, in the HBO series “Somebody, Somewhere.”
Hawley notes that in 2022, nearly $700 million worth of film, television and commercial production expenditures qualified for the incentive program, receiving $207 million in tax credits.
“One of the first things we ask on the forms is why Illinois?” Hawley said. “It’s almost always because of the tax credit, because something that was going to cost you $1 million now costs $700,000.”
Illinois is one of 37 states to offer some type of production incentive, according to the report. However, some critics and researchers question the value of these tax incentives, not just in Illinois, but nationally.
“There are common challenges with measuring the economic values of this type of incentive,” said Austin Berg, vice president of marketing at the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that analyzes and tracks government finances. “What would the economic advantage be if you reduced the tax bill of all businesses by $200 million instead of just one industry?”
A National Conference of State Legislatures report in 2022 showed some states are losing money on film production incentive programs.
Analyses of such programs in California, Pennsylvania and Virginia indicated those states weren’t getting the results they anticipated.
“We found that the costs exceeded the benefits,” the California Legislative Analyst’s office wrote. “We concluded that about one-third of the projects receiving a credit probably would have been made here whether or not they received the subsidy.”
It’s not just about what producers are getting, though, proponents of the incentive program argue. There is a greater benefit to the state’s economy than just film production costs, Dudley said.
According to the new report, for every dollar Illinois credits a production, that production is responsible for $6.81 returned to the state’s economy either “directly, indirectly or induced” by the production.
“The Bear,” about a chef (Jeremy Allen White, left) returning to Chicago to run his brother’s sandwich shop, is shot in the city and showcases its restaurant scene.
Photo Courtesy of FX
Induced returns would include any type of tourism revenue generated by the popularity of a movie or television show. “The Bear” on Hulu is a critical smash set in Chicago and has sparked a culinary tourism trade in the city.
There are also many bus tours offering trips throughout Chicago and the suburbs of famous filming locations.
However, researchers at the NCSL say it’s “difficult to precisely quantify the extent to which film development benefits state tourism.”
Still, industry officials believe all benefits matter.
“The return on investment for Illinois is one of the highest in the nation, but it’s hard to compare because not all incentive programs are apples to apples,” Dudley said.
In fact, the Illinois model is unlike that of most other states.
“Because it’s a tax credit and not a rebate, the money stays in Illinois,” Hawley said. “We don’t just hand you a bag of cash after filming is over.”
The credit is also transferable, so it can be sold to other business entities that owe the state taxes, Hawley noted.
While the Illinois Production Alliance report does make suggestions that could sweeten the pot for producers, such as eliminating a cap on creditable earnings and removing a 2032 sunset clause for the program, Hawley believes the state remains in a good position to compete for new film, television and commercial projects well into the future.
“We’re expanding,” he said. “We’ve got a workforce training program we’ve started up after it was delayed by COVID. We’re in for the long haul.”
Happy Friday, Illinois Land!
Instead of doing the usual column with post-Thanksgiving word puns involving side dishes and jokes about turkeys, I will use my time to point out a few things that I now know about college basketball in 2025, and the place that Illinois occupies inside of that stratosphere.
I will also discuss where Illinois fits into the landscape of the Big Ten. I think you’ll like how I see that unfolding. My pending Big Ten Analysis will highlight the lack of good depth in the conference.
It is not exactly a banner year for the Big Ten in men’s college basketball. To say the least.
Despite the fact that the Big Ten has dropped in the national landscape, and despite the fact that Illinois lost to a True Elite in 2025 against Alabama in Birmingham by double digits, it’s great beyond words to have a head basketball coach leading your program playing basketball the way it needs to be played at this present date.
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a National Program. Do not confuse this with being a national powerhouse.
As I see it, here are the five levels of Illinois basketball. National Championship Contender can replace Blue Blood for Illinois. There was no way for me to get in a shot at Indiana and its fans unless I constituted it this way.
For reference: Indiana is now No. 61 in KenPom (76 in OER, and 51 in DER). I was told that they are the conference favorite. I was also told Illinois cannot play defense. More on this in a bit.
- Conference Bottomfeeder (Year 1-2): 26-39 in his first two seasons, 11-27 in the Big Ten. I would call this 1990s Era coaching. Up the line, full court pressure, etc.
- Respected NCAA Tournament Team (Year 3+): This will be five-straight non-bubble NCAATs for Underwood, six if you count the COVID-19 cancellation of 2020.
- Big Ten Power (Year 3+): In turn, this makes you a Final Four contender on semi-annual basis, at a minimum. I don’t mean make a Final Four, but be a Top Four seed. No one believes that NC State had a better season than Illinois last year.
- National (and International) Program (Year 4+): Playing games on CBS on Thanksgiving by request, re-hiring arguably the country’s top assistant coach (Orlando Antigua), signing two potential lottery picks from two countries outside the United States. I could go on, but I won’t. You get it.
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- Blue Blood (Never): This outdated term continues to keep Indiana fans from jumping off the nearest bridge for the last three-plus decades. Illinois will never be here. UCONN can’t get into the club with six National Championships since 1999.
Having said that, I’m going to say this.
John Calipari is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He has taken three different programs to the Final Four: Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky. He is an all-time great coach with a dazzling record (814-260, for a .758 winning percentage).
Calipari won an NCAA Tournament and cut down the nets in 2012, his third year in Lexington leading the Cats. He was outstanding at Kentucky (410-123), winning games at a .769 clip during his 15-year tenure.
He inexplicably missed the NCAA Tournament twice, going just 9-16 in 2021. His last three years, Kentucky lost 30 games and twice in the NCAAT to vastly inferior teams against No. 15 St. Peter’s and last year against No. 14 Oakland.
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Please read the words I type. Do not create a false narrative around comparing Calipari and Underwood, in totality.
Underwood certainly has not had the career of Calipari — it’s not close — nor will he likely end up in the Hall of Fame anywhere outside of Champaign. Not impossible, but not likely.
Looking to the future, it’s clear which coach of the pair from the Thanksgiving matchup in Kansas City has the brighter future. This isn’t close, either.
While Underwood’s Illini blitzed Arkansas with a barrage of threes, high ball screens and floor spacing for play makers, Calipari and Kentu…Arkansas…had a plan “to attack the rim all game,” according to Calipari post-game.
Arkansas ATTEMPTED 17 threes. Illinois MADE 15. Illinois was +30 in in this category.
Frees (points at the free throw line) and threes (points behind the arc) is something I look at during every halftime, and after every game.
Illinois was +29 in this category. BU’s squad scored 90 points on the elite Arkansas defense, which was ranked No. 8 in KenPom DER prior to the contest.
The Illini had 60 of their 90 points (67.7%) of their points on Frees and Threes. Check on this stat every game that Underwood and Illinois play the entirety of the season. It will likely tell the story.
Factor in 2P% defense and you can get the winner of every game Illinois plays this year. The defensive strategy of Illinois is to defend the bucket and the arc. Despite giving a bucket full to Alabama in the lone loss (100-87), Illinois is currently No. 21 in DER.
Let’s take a look at pace of play, and how it affects efficiency, from a large scale perspective. What Illinois is doing is hard to copy.
For that matter, the Illinois offense is now No. 18 in OER (Offensive Efficiency Rating). Of the top 21 in DER on KenPom, Illinois has the FASTEST tempo, at No. 36.
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In summary, Illinois plays in the Top 10% in pace of play and ranks even better in efficiency at both ends. It’s not only extremely difficult to do, but largely unnecessary.
When you play fast and efficient on offense, defense lessens in importance in direct correlation with how more efficient your offense can be. In short, play fast and good on offense and you outscore your opponent and win based on simple math.
Here are the avearages for defensive and offensive efficiency. The lower the number, the faster the pace.
Top 5 DERs in terms of pace average: 260.6
Top 5 OERs in terms of pace average: 66.8
Illinois pace of play: 36 (Top 21 in both DER and OER)
I know it’s a lot of numbers. I get it. Underwood has embraced the numbers game and turned Illinois from a Big Ten Bottomfeeder to a National Program.
You may not like it, but you’re gonna learn to love it.
Please take The Scientific Poll.
Poll
What is the win ceiling for Illinois men’s basketball in 2024-25?
This is threes and frees. This is creating space. This is the winning formula.
This is Illinois Basketball.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis scored a season-high 23 points, Tomislav Ivisic had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Illinois beat No. 19 Arkansas 90-77 on Thursday in the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase.
Jakucionis hit two free throws to give Illinois a double-digit lead with 3:49 remaining in the game. Arkansas had a turnover and a missed jumper on its next two possessions and Jakucionis hit an open 3-pointer to make it 85-71 at 2:42.
Kylan Boswell added 18 points for Illinois (6-1). Head coach Brad Underwood broke a tie with J. Craig Ruby (1922-36) for fifth place in program history with 149 wins.
Adou Thiero went 12 of 21 from the line and scored 26 points for Arkansas (5-2). Zvonimir Ivisic had 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Takeaways
Tomislav Ivisic won the battle against his twin brother, Zvonimir. Along with his double-double, Tomislav Ivisic made 6 of 9 3-pointers and blocked three shots. The 7-foot-1 center, playing his first college season, had 13 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
Key moment
Illinois stated the game on a 21-6 run and maintained at least a nine-point lead the rest of the way. Ben Humrichous made the Illini’s fifth 3-pointer with 12:36 left in the first half while Arkansas was 3 of 9 from the field.
Key stat
Illinois made 55% of its shots in the first half, including 9 of 16 from 3-point range, while Arkansas was 0 for 7 from long distance and shot 44% overall. The Illini finished 15 of 31 from distance. Arkansas shot 5 of 17 beyond the arc.
Up next
Arkansas plays at Miami in the second SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday. Illinois plays at Northwestern on Dec. 6 to begin Big Ten play.
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