Fargo's next season won't be filmed in Calgary
U.S. comedy-crime drama will move to Chicago this fall
Calgary will no longer be the home of comedy-crime drama Fargo.
The anthology TV series is setting up production for its fourth season in Chicago this fall, FX announced in a news release Thursday.
Luke Azevedo, commissioner of film, television and creative industries with Calgary Economic Development, said the production team wanted a different look for its upcoming season.
"This was not a surprise to us," Azevedo said. "It's just something that Calgary was unable to deliver."
FX did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The award-winning show hired hundreds of Albertans, from location scouts to crew members, every year during its three-season production run in the province.
It was one of the highest budget series projects ever filmed in Alberta, Azevedo said.
He said the investment into Calgary's economy was "significant," considering the crew visited local restaurants and hotels, used equipment from local companies and took advantage of facilities like the Calgary Film Centre.
The city is unsure whether the show will ever return. However, Azevedo said FX plans to film another series in the province, which will be announced soon.
'All projects have a life'
"This isn't necessarily a devastating blow because it's a project-orientated business and the demand for content has never been higher, with players coming on the scene like Netflix and Amazon," said Tom Benz, motion picture business agent for the media industry union, IATSE Local 212.
Benz said another show will come and hire all the crew members who worked on Fargo.
"All projects have a life," he said.
Busy season for Calgary film crews
Fargo is among a handful of shows, along with Heartland, Tribal and Fortunate Son, that have been filmed in the city in recent years.
Rust City — the working title for the new Ghostbusters movie — is currently being filmed in Calgary, according to the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists Alberta's website. The film will bring Fargo star Carrie Coon back to the city.
The film industry in Calgary is "extremely busy" at present, Azevedo said, adding that key players are working with the government to try to devise an incentive system that will allow the city's industry to better compete globally.
The fourth season of Fargo, whose cast includes Chris Rock, will air on FX in early 2020.