“The Bear” is back in town for season five, and fans are already scoping out filming locations across the city.
This week, cast and crew are filming season five in Ukrainian Village, according to bright pink filming notices posted around the neighborhood.
Dozens of production vehicles displaying the name “The Fugitive,” a code name for the series, lined both sides of Cortez Street on Tuesday. The code name is a nod to the 1993 film of the same name, which was also predominantly filmed in Chicago and starred Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Previous code names for “The Bear” include “Windy City Law” and “Kubelik,” named after a Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director.
But despite the code name, it didn’t take long this week for onlookers to determine that the scenes in progress were actually for “The Bear,” particularly after two series regulars were spotted filming scenes on a residential street. Season five is expected to arrive on Hulu later this year.
For several seasons now, an apartment building situated on the northwest corner of Cortez Street and Hoyne Avenue has been used as Richie’s apartment. Richie, also known to fans as “Cousin,” is the character portrayed by actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Neighbors told a reporter they also spotted Canadian actor and chef Matty Matheson (known as Neil Fak in the series), going in and out of the apartment buildings on Cortez Street.
One of the buildings permitted to “The Bear” crew on Cortez Street is being used as a holding center for extras between scenes, a crew member told a reporter.
While this is meant to be a spoiler-free zone, several pedestrians and eager fans crowding around the set this week got a glimpse of a potential clue for season five: what appears to be a rainy car-crash scene involving a red minivan and a black sedan.
On sunny Tuesday, sprinklers attached to several cranes were used to simulate a heavy rainstorm. Later, production crews made a faux rainbow appear with stage magic as water continued to fall.
As for whether season five is the last season of “The Bear,” the answer remains unclear.
Members of the crew told a reporter that filming will wrap up sometime next month. Peter Hawley, director of the Illinois Film Office, confirmed that “The Bear” is set to finish filming for season five in March.
Hawley couldn’t give specific details on upcoming projects filming in Chicago this year, but he said, “we’re having a good year already, and we’re in February.”
The Illinois Film Production Services Tax Credit, signed into law in December of last year, is helping incentivize productions to film here.
Hawley said the show’s impact on the local dining scene has been significant. Chicagoans and tourists alike have flocked to popular restaurants that appeared in the show, from Grant Achatz’s Alinea to the bustling Filipino bakery Kasama, just around the corner from this week’s filming location. The group Chicago Food & City Tours is also offering weekend food tours based on “The Bear” that take visitors to locations that show up in the series, such as Mr. Beef or Margie’s Candies.
“I’ve heard [of] people who have in-laws from foreign countries, who come here to go have an Italian beef sandwich and to go to … other places that have been featured in ‘The Bear,’” Hawley said.