NOTHING HAD BEEN HEARD from executive producer Michael Antonnuci since December, 2012, when he departed from Utopic, the production/post company he had co-founded three years earlier, a change that was attributed to a “restructuring” of the spot production division.
Well, it’s said that all good things come to those who wait. Now 17 months after Antonnuci, a seasoned agency producer, dropped out-of-sight, he is back stronger than ever – although not in Chicago.
Antonnuci was appointed to the fantastic position at Disney as Creative Content Production Director. “I’m very excited about this amazing opportunity, but sad to leave the city I love since this means I will be relocating to LA,” he says.
CHICAGO STUDIO CITY’S John Crededio, Jr. reports that the company has re-aquired their Stage 5, stating, “We now have 150,000-square feet of stage space, 25,000-sq. ft. of office space, on 15 acres of land, with parking for as 200 vehicles.”
Full-service CSC, where TV series “Betrayal” and “Mob Doctor” did their filming, is located at 5660 W. Taylor.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, NBC chose not to renew ratings-deficient TV series “Crisis,” thereby reducing the current number of TV shows filming here down to Dick Wolf’s two: “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago PD.”
“Crisis” filmed at Cinespace and the “Chicago” duo will return the end of July to film for their next seasons on the air.
While entertainment projects are currently at a standstill, so are commercials. Sources in-the-know tell of possible TV shows shooting here, but spot production is a big blank.
FAILED MERGER FALLOUT. The Publicis-Omnicom gamble wasn’t a cheap one. While neither agency is paying a break-up fee, Omnicom has spent just under $50 million on putting together the merger, according to SEC filings.
IRONIES OF FATE. We hear that shortly after Method’s Santa Monica-based president Christian Kubsch emphatically denied that Method was closing its Chicago offices, he left the company.
DOUBTFUL PRODUCTION HERE. Here’s another Chicago-set movie we heard about that probably will not be shot in Chicago, from “Zombieland” writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.
“Watch Dogs,” based on the upcoming Ubisoft video game, centers on Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker who taps into Chicago’s citywide computer system and control everything from traffic lights to accessing intel that allows him to engage the bad guys, and thwart attempts to kill innocents.
YOU KNOW IT’S SUMMER when the 16th annual Waterfront Film Festival announces its lineup for its June 12-15 event in South Haven, Michigan, assembling its usual excellent and diverse lineup of films that offer something for everybody.
Waterfront will present 21 Midwest and 13 Michigan premieres among the 80 films on its schedule. “Wild Canaries” was an SXSW Grand Jury Award nominee; “Sister” was a Tribeca selection and “Cas & Dyla” a Canadian Genie winner: best actress in a leading role.
One of the important and most-talked films showcasting is “Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger,” Oscar-nominee Joe Berlinger’s doc about the Boston killer and city corruption.
Producers, actors, directors and writers will be in attendance for Q&A and to enjoy the amenities and scenery of the West Michigan resort city that makes it so much fun for film fans to attend.
No matter the size of your company, if you have production news – you know where to send it: Ruth@reelchicago.com.
