Hollywood in Western Springs: Major Damon/Paltrow Movie to Film in Downtown

The activity seen recently in the long-vacant former site of Tischler's has been confirmed to be linked to the filming of a new Steven Soderbergh film, starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow, entitled Contagion.

"Warner Brothers has requested permission to film a portion of a movie in Western Springs sometime next week, and are expected to provide details sufficient to issue permits," confirmed Director of Community Development Martin Scott in an e-mail.

Contagion, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB,) is a film about "the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak." It is scheduled for release in October of 2011.

Along with Damon and Paltrow, the cast includes Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne and Marion Cotillard. It is not known at this time which of these actors, if any, will be filming in Western Springs.  

Several more downtown building owners have also been contacted to film short scenes for the movie, and it is possible that filming will take place in other parts of the downtown, including along Burlington Avenue.

While workers were visible in Tischler's earlier this week, sweeping and measuring the building (which has been vacant since the grocery closed in 2003) window shades have since gone up, obstructing the view from Wolf Road into the building.

According to Todd Lizak, assistant director of the Illinois Film Office, filmmaking is an important source of revenue for the state. Contagion has a budget of $64 million and Lizak hopes a large part of that budget is spent in the towns where scenes are filmed, including Wilmette, Chicago, Glencoe and Elgin, as well as Western Springs.

Lizak and his team, a part of Illinois' Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, review scripts early in their development phase. This particular script was reviewed in April after meeting with Soderbergh's team in Los Angeles. The state's team recognized several west-Chicago locations consistent with the script, including a cemetery, labs, courtrooms and hospitals, and presented their choices.  

Based on the Film Office's recommendations, Soderbergh chose Illinois for filming. Specific sites, like the recently closed Shermer Hospital in Elgin and the Tischler's site in Western Springs, were narrowed down by a local location scout and manager who fine-tuned the director's requirements.  

Some sites like Tischler's were selected very close to filming, as production schedules changed and scenes were added. The scene to be shot here required a grocery store across the street from the bank. Since the store is already vacant, this site was a logical choice.

According to Lizak, filming in town is not only exciting, but beneficial to local businesses who serve cast and crew members, generating revenue for towns. The Film Office makes every effort to promote towns throughout the state of Illinois, not just in Chicago. 

This isn't the first time Western Springs has made it to the big screen. Last year, the Western Springs pool locker room was used for scenes in the film Polish Bar, with Judd Hirsch, Richard Belzer and Meat Loaf. Cast and crew used the recreation center gym for their catering service, and while some people dined, Belzer was seen shooting hoops.

The cast of Contagion is loaded with high-profile and critically lauded stars. Damon, Paltrow, Winslet and Cotillard are all Academy Award-winners; Fishburne and Law have each been nominated. Director Soderbergh is a Best Director-winner for 2000's Traffic (which also won Best Picture,) was nominated that same year for Erin Brockovich, and has also directed all three films in the popular Ocean's Eleven trilogy.

Scott pledged that further details on the filming in town will be released once permits are finalized.