New $60M film studio opening in South Shore

CHICAGO - Chicago is auditioning to be the "Hollywood of the Midwest," breaking ground on a new $60 million film studio.

The new Regal Mile Studios is being built in the South Shore neighborhood.

City officials describe it as a state-of-the-art media campus and will create hundreds of new jobs: 250 construction jobs, and more than 400 permanent film production and studio jobs once the site opens next year.

The 22,000 square foot film studio is being built near 79th and Stony Island on seven acres of vacant land.

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Derek Dudley, producer of Showtime’s "The Chi," is a partner in this project. He says he hopes the location will help inspire more kids of color to get involved in media production.

"This studio will reduce economic insecurity and inequity by providing new educational opportunities and job readiness training, so people come out of this training and go right into lucrative jobs in the industry," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

"These are really, really good paying jobs," she added.

The city is already home to Cinespace Chicago Film Studios in North Lawndale, and there are plans for a film complex in Avondale — each bringing the city closer to that "Hollywood" status.