There's a new movie coming to Netflix called 'Holidate' that's set in Chicago!
Premiering Wednesday, “Holidate” follows hot-mess singleton Sloane (played by Emma Roberts) as she strikes an unusual deal with Aussie commitment-phobe Jackson (Luke Bracey). They both hate major holidays — where Sloane is often badgered about not being in a relationship, and Jackson’s dates take things too far — so they serve as each other’s platonic plus-ones throughout a year of festivities.
Most of the “Holidate” action takes place indoors, which hides the fact the movie was not shot in Chicago. Filming occurred over 34 days in the Atlanta area in the spring of 2019. Surprisingly, quite a few scenes take place at the so-called Lakeview Mall. Perhaps the inspiration was Water Tower Place, Woodfield Mall, or that much ballyhooed Winnetka outlet mall referenced in “Emily in Paris.”
There are some requisite Chicago-area plugs: Sloane hails from Logan Square (though a map featured in the movie places Logan Square much further south than in real life); and Kristen Chenoweth plays Sloane’s aunt, who met one of her holidates when she posed nude for a figure sculpture class at the Art Institute. There doesn’t actually appear to be a Little Miss Evanston pageant, but perhaps that can be the subject of Netflix’s next movie.
Will you check it out?