‘The Bear’ Fans Are Keeping Close Eyes on Season 3’s Filming Locations

As promised, filming for Season 3 of FX mega-hit The Bear is underway in Chicago. That means local fans are donning their metaphorical detective deerstalkers to suss out details months before its episodes debut in June on Hulu.

Eagle-eyed Chicagoans have spotted filming notices for a project called “Kubelik” in neighborhoods including Armour Square, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, and even suburban Evanston. Some managed to decipher that the code — a reference to Czech composer and conductor Rafael Kubelik, who directed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the early 1950s — referred to the forthcoming adventures of fictional chefs Carmy Berzatto, Sidney Adamu, and their crew.

Aside from the history lesson, the notices and their locations have alerted fans to possible plot lines. So, spoiler alert...

A hot pink sign posted near the location used as pastry chef Marcus’ mom’s house has already prompted fears about her fate. “RIP Marcus’s mom,” one writes on X.

...end of spoilers...

The production team may yet have some tricks up its sleeve, however, as the mere presence of a sign doesn’t mean shooting will proceed as indicated. A local X user claims that a supposed plan to shoot near St. Josaphat Parish on Southport never came to fruition. “Maybe all a ruse,” they write.

Geography isn’t the only source of speculation ahead of Season 3. Questions of representation persist. “Question will the Bear finally come to grips with reality and feature a Mexican and/or Central American characters in the kitchen? I doubt it!” posits Carlos Ballesteros, a Chicago-based senior reporter for Injustice Watch. While some users pointed to the character of chef Tina Marrero, it’s worth noting that she’s portrayed by Puerto Rican actor Liza Colón-Zayas. Of course, a keyword in Ballesteros’s post is “feature,” as it’s debatable that Tina is integral to the show’s main plot.

Ayo Edebiri goes full geek at the SAG Awards

Finally, The Bear has wrapped up its rampage through Moira Rose’s favorite season (awards), raking in three more accolades at late February’s 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. That’s the same number of SAG trophies awarded to Oscar-bait biopic Oppenheimer, which seems like a coup for the ensemble-driven TV series set in Chicago’s bustling streets and cramped kitchens.

Actor Ayo Edebiri (Sidney Adamu), whose visage recently made the leap from small screen to meme template, also continued her pattern of fascinating post-gala comments to reporters. When asked what she’d say to her past “younger self” in light of the show’s success, the actress didn’t miss a beat: “I would say nothing to her, obviously, because of the rules of time travel,” she deadpans. “It’s Tenet logic,” she adds, in an oblique nod to director and fellow SAG winner Christopher Nolan’s perplexing 2020 film, as her co-stars giggle in the background.

Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White (Carmy Berzatto) continued their streak of victories with awards for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series and outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series, respectively. The pair won their Emmy and Golden Globe equivalents in January. The cast also won SAG’s prize for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.

Casting calls for Season 3 seek local extras, babies, and cars

Chicago-area superfans (apologies to Bill Swerski) of The Bear have been vying for their five seconds of fame since local company 4 Star Casting began issuing calls in February to fill the roles of background characters, as well as infants and vehicles. These ongoing calls are posted to the company’s Facebook page with details about the specific role, including dates, locations, and application information. Amateur actors looking to shoot their shot can register online and complete an artist profile.

Can The Bear cure superhero fatigue?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs a shot in the arm and they’re turning to The Bear. Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play the ever-loving Thing — or at least provide the voice and motion capture for the orange rock-covered superhero — for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four film. Meanwhile, The Bear showrunner Joanna Calo has been hired to polish up the script for Marvel’s Thunderbolts. That film was to feature Edebiri, but she left the project due to scheduling.

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