Sony TV to shoot an untitled medical drama pilot here

A CHICAGO-SET PILOT is set to actually shoot here, although the shooting date is unknown at this time.  Michael Dinner is the executive producer and director of the currently untitled medical drama pilot, about a female doctor who works for the mob in Chicago. 

Sony Pictures TV is producing for the Fox Network.  The pilot will headquarter at Chicago Studio City on the West Side.  

Veteran TV show executive producer/director Dinner is no stranger to the city, having shot several TV series here over the past 20 years. He was here last summer as EP/director of the graphic novel “Powers” for the FX Network. He was executive consultant and director of 2009’s “The Beast” which starred the late Patrick Swayze and in the late ‘90s he directed episodes of “Early Edition” and was co-executive producer of “Chicago Hope.”

Other memorable shows that Dinner is known for include “Justified,” “Kidnapped,” “The Street,” “Fantasy Island” and “The Wonder Years.”

So far, Chicago has been chosen as the location for  pilots (Untitled and “Chicago Fire,”) out of the 85 that have been greenlit for production the 2012 season.  

ON THE “CHICAGO FIRE” FRONT: Jeffrey Nachmanoff (“Traitor”) will direct “Chicago Fire,” Dick Wolf Films’ eagerly anticipated action drama exploring the lives of the people of the Chicago Fire Department.  Producer is former Chicagoan John Roman, the pilot will shoot here March 14-April 1. 

*The plum “Chicago Fire” casting job has gone to Paskal Rudnicke, which has been given the assignment of casting 12 main roles at this time.

*And Bob Hudgins was hired as the pilot’s locations manager. He is the former Illinois Film Officer deputy director who spent the last five years as head of the Texas Film Commission and recently returned to Chicago.

HOLLYWOOD SUCCESS STORY JESSICA BENDINGER will share her screen writing successes with members of the Chicago Screenwriters Group’s monthly meeting Sunday, Feb. 12 at its the Porkchop, its new meeting location in the West Loop, starting at 6 p.m. 

Starting with the surprise comedy sports hit “Bring it On” that she wrote and co-produced in 2000 (made for $10 million and grossed $70 million), Bendinger wrote four other box office successes wrote and directed “Stick It” (Jeff Bridges, Haley Graham) in 2006. 

Earlier, she was a creative consultant on “Sex and the City.” In 2005, Glamour magazine named her one of Hollywood’s Most Powerful Women Under 40. 

She is a Chicago native and daughter of former agency creative director Bruce Bendinger, writer/publisher of “The Copy Workshop” and many best-selling books on advertising.

COSTUME DESIGNER MICHAEL ALAN STEIN is deep in the heart of New York Fashion Week getting ready for the debut runway presentation of his Michael Alan Stein Collection of women’s fashions. The presentation takes place Feb. 14 at the Broad Street Ballroom, with designer Diane Von Furstenberg as presenter. 

SAG/AFTRA MEMBERS get the world about the proposed merger of the two unions at an informational meeting Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Kaufherr Center at 6 p.m.  The merger agreement, constitution and lots of information can be found on the unions’ website.

ON THE OPPOSITE COAST, one of the local attendees at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards will be Comma’s music supervisor Bonny Dolan, who serves on the NATAS board.  She also plans to attend the Grammy-sponsored MusicCares gala the following night.

THE CHICAGO ADDY AWARDS, sponsored by the Chicago Ad Federation and the American Ad Federation, will honor the Gold and Silver Addy winners for best Chicago creativity Feb. 16 at a reception at Resolution Digital Studios, from 6 to 10 p.m.

A ROSTER OF TOP PROS will share tips on how to make resumes pop and reels stand out Women in Film’s Feb. 26 Build-A-Skill Resume and Reel Review Night at Utopic starting at 5:30 p.m.
 
Confirmed speakers so far are Christie Andersen Asif, Career Development Specialist at Columbia;  Rai Barney, Resume Respect Services; Megan Maples, Dictionary Films; Selina Hood, Ruth;  Rise Sanders, Vagabond Audio; Marci Miles, Reelize; Laurel Dubose, Gypsy Reps; Julie Ford, Columbia College; Kelli Weber Heiden, Draft FCB; Toby Nathan, Recruit-A-Star; Al Cohn, locations manager and Utopic’s editor Jan Maitland, executive producer Michael Antonucci, director Michael Labellarte and post producer Heather Mitchell.

Got news?  What are you waiting for?  Send it to Ruth@reelchicago.com.