Superman Homepage

2011 Movie News Archives

August 2, 2011: "Man of Steel" Location Scouts and Tornado Sequence

The Chicago Tribune has published an article examining the job of a Location Scout for big budget films like "Man of Steel", and in the process talks about the action sequence taking place in Plano, Illinois, which is doubling as the film's Smallville.

Next month, for instance, when production on "Man of Steel" shifts to Chicago, the choice of locations will probably seem inevitable: Chicago plays Metropolis; the Loop will be the focus of the action; Willis Tower will likely play a role. But not so in Plano, chosen as the film's Smallville after scouts looked at more than 50 rural towns. Its Main Street, sources close to the movie whisper, will be featured in a big tornado sequence.

Plano will never be Plano again.

Officially - wink-wink - no one actually scouted locations for the next Superman film. "You mean 'Autumn Frost'?" asks James McAllister, the movie's Chicago-based location manager, staying on-message and referring to the production by its code name. "'Autumn Frost' is the only movie that I've been dealing with right now." He's another of Chicago's most-wanted scouts, particularly after working on "The Dark Knight."

Read the entire article at ChicagoTribune.com.