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.”
Illinois will get $1.1 million of a $45 million, 45-state settlement with money transfer app Cash App’s parent company, which was accused of misleading customers about the app’s security.
Block Inc. will face $55 million in civil penalties and also have to pay customers nationwide somewhere from $75 million to $120 million as part of the settlement, which includes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In a statement, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the settlement holds the company accountable and requires it to “change its harmful practices.”
“Block told Cash App users their money was safe and falsely implied that the app worked like a bank, with the same protections,” Raoul said. “Block was aware that fraud on its platform was rising sharply and failed to warn users, strengthen protections or provide real help to users when things went wrong.”
A company spokesperson confirmed the settlement and said the company has made “significant investments in consumer protection, customer service, and compliance.”
“We share the commitment of the attorneys general to addressing industry challenges and continue to invest in operations and technology to promote a safe and healthy financial ecosystem,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Sun-Times Wednesday night.
The lawsuit accused the company of not preventing fraud, and even of having systems that made it easier to commit that fraud. Minimal identity verification allowed someone to create fake or multiple accounts, and the company had no phone support line. Instead, customers who had been defrauded often were provided by those fraudsters with fake online customer support phone numbers, the suit alleged.
As part of the agreement, the company must offer at least 13.5 hours of human-staffed phone lines per day as part of 24-hour support, as well as reimburse customers for fraudulent transactions, stop marketing the app as safe and educate users about the dangers of fraud.
SERENA, Ill. – An 8-year-old girl has died after she was struck by lightning while outside in the backyard of her home in LaSalle County over the Fourth of July weekend.
Girl killed by lightning strike
What we know:
The LaSalle County Coroner’s office said it was called to emergency department at OSF St. Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa on the evening of July 3 after the child was brought in following the lightning strike.
A forensic autopsy was conducted on Sunday. Preliminary findings determined the girl died from injuries caused by the lightning strike.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet released the child’s identity.
The incident remains under investigation by the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.
The Source: The information in this report came from the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – We’re learning more about the victims in Friday’s tragedy on Geneva Lake.
Three kids, ages 10, seven, and six, were killed after they were trapped in the sinking boat during the severe storms.
Officials won’t comment on their identities, but FOX6 learned at least two of them were students at the Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) in Wheaton, Illinois.
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The district released a statement, saying:
“On behalf of Community Unit School District 200, our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident in Lake Geneva on July 3. We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”
Lake Geneva Police Chief statement
What we know:
The City of Lake Geneva Police Department is opening up on the incident and the property destruction caused by the storms.
The police chief says, in part:
“In moments of tragedy, we often see the very best in people, and that has certainly been true here. While there is still healing ahead, I hope everyone knows how grateful we are for the outpouring of support shown over these past several days. It has been humbling to witness and a reminder that no one faces hardship alone when a community stands together.”
–Chief Ed Gritzner, City of Lake Geneva Police Department
The backstory:
Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.
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The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank.
Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts.
Emergency response on Geneva Lake after storms lead to calls for water rescue on July 3, 2026.
Who was on the boat?
The latest:
The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.
The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.
The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.
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What happened on Geneva Lake?
Dig deeper:
Law enforcement said the boat operator had “extensive boating experience” and was unable to find safe harbor when the storm hit. At least two large waves broke over the bow, causing it to take on water. Another wave hit the side of the boat, causing it to roll, capsize and sink.
The sunken vessel was found in 32 feet of water, and three children were found inside the boat. Divers were able to get them out and bring them to the surface, and they were pronounced dead despite life-saving attempts. Investigators determined they had no external injuries and drowned.
What’s next:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency are still conducting a joint investigation into the accident. Eleven other agencies assisted with the immediate needs.
The Source: Information in this post comes from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department and Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200), along with prior
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