Season Two of ‘The Bear’ Begins Filming This Week in Chicago: Dates, Locations, More

Yes Chef! The Bear is back, and filming for new episodes begins this week in Chicago. SCREEN can confirm the FX series will begin filming Season Two in Chicago this week. The series is expected to wrap on or near April 28th. And the season order has been upped from eight episodes to ten.

Where Will The Bear Be Filming?

For insight into Season Two, let’s look at the locations from the inaugural season. The show is set at the fictional “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” an old-school Italian beef joint. In the first season, some of the scenes at the bustling bistro were filmed at an actual iconic stand, The Original Mr. Beef, in Chicago’s River North neighborhood., at 666 North Orleans. We can expect a return to Mr. Beef for filming of a number of scenes in Season Two.

But much of the filming of The Bear is expected to take place on a production stage at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. Located on the west side of Chicago, Cinespace occupies nearly 2 million square feet of production studio and office space.

The first season also featured a number of scenes filming throughout the Windy City, namely the Logan Square and Wicker Park neighborhoods. We can expect more of the same for Season Two, but be sure to check back here at SCREEN or our friends at Filming In Chicago for updates as the series films through the end of April.

Anticipation Is Heating Up for Season Two

What a year it has been for The Bear so far, and it’s just starting to cook. Lead actor Jeremy Allen White brought home the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy, followed by a slew of other wins and nominations for White and his fellow cast and crew, including a victory at the Critics Choice Awards.

ICYMI, let’s hear what Jeremy Allen White had to say following his Globe win last month, courtesy of Variety…

On to Season Two

FX renewed the series last summer following raves from critics and TV aficionados alike. The first season of the show filmed throughout the Windy City last year, starting in February and wrapping at the end of March. The Bear was created by Christopher Storer (Ramy) and follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young chef from the fine dining world, who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop – The Original Beef of Chicagoland – after a heartbreaking death in his family. A world away from what he’s used to, Carmy must balance the soul-crushing realities of small business ownership, his strong-willed and recalcitrant kitchen staff and his strained familial relationships, all while grappling with the impact of his brother’s suicide.

Here’s the teaser for Season One…

More from the Golden Globe Winner

The series has marked a return to Chicago for Jeremy Allen White, who spent many a night in town during an 11-season run on Showtime’s Chi-Town Emmy winner Shameless, where he played eldest brother “Lip Gallagher.”

If you are just now joining The Bear fan brigade, here’s a quick interview with Jeremy Allen White introducing his charmingly complex character in the acclaimed FX series…

Chicago UPM Back at the Helm

SCREEN has confirmed that the Unit Production Manager and Co-Producer of Season One is back for Season Two. That UPM is Chicago’s Carrie Holt de Lama, a cornerstone of the television and film production community in town. de Lama has been with the series from the start, leading the production team for the pilot for The Bear, which shot in Chicago in July of 2021. de Lama’s recent credits include Unit Production Manager on both seasons of the popular Chicago-made Showtime series Work in Progress. de Lama also served as UPM of several episodes of the Emmy-nominated HBO series Lovecraft Country and Showtime’s Emmy winner Shameless.

Looking Ahead to Season Two

As mentioned earlier in this article, Season Two begins filming in Chicago Tuesday, February 21st, and there will be a total of ten episodes in this season. But most importantly, fans can expect a Season Two premiere early this Summer, which is a relatively quick turnaround.

Click here for co-showrunners Joanna Calo and Chicago native Christopher Storer’s interview with Esquire for some insight into what fans can expect in Season Two.

As for the streaming home for Season Two, an FX rep confirmed to IndieWire that The Bear will remain a Hulu exclusive, but could not confirm whether the new season’s release schedule would follow a binge model, weekly model, or some combination of the two. “Too soon on that,” the rep replied to IndieWire’s inquiry.

And if you’re late to the Season One feast, all eight episodes of The Bear are now available on Hulu. Click here to enjoy the first season.

Check back here at SCREEN for updates as filming of Season Two of The Bear gets rolling this month. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.