Downtown Frankfort Site For Upcoming TV Series

FRANKFORT, IL — When it comes to small-town charm, the Village of Frankfort appears to be light-years ahead of other towns. Or, at least Frankfort can make that claim thanks to filming there of an upcoming Amazon Prime series titled "Lightyears."

Filming for the show — starring Oscar-winning actors J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek — started Monday and is scheduled to wrap up Wednesday. Some residents might have noticed limited parking in the downtown area while filming took place.

"'Lightyears' follows Franklin and Irene York, played by [Simmons] and Spacek, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet," according to a synopsis of the show sent to Patch by a member of the production crew. "They've carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks' quiet existence is quickly upended… and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined."

The filming had some residents out Tuesday to catch a glimpse of TV magic being made. One of those out for a sneak peek was Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle.

"This is wonderful. I'm glad people are able to see the charm of our town," Ogle said. "The residents are very excited, and we're looking forward to seeing ['Lightyears']. And, I'm also a big fan of Sissy Spacek."

Parts of "Lightyears" were also filmed in Blue Island, as well as Island Lake, Wauconda and Woodstock, according to reports by Reel Chicago and My Huntley News.

“'Lightyears' chose Frankfort because it uniquely fit the quaint, small-town feel the director and entire creative team was looking for," according to Ruff Draft Productions, the team behind selecting filming locations. "The historic district, specifically Kansas from Oak to Walnut, features an eclectic grouping of buildings and functioning businesses that we were excited to feature and showcase. We are grateful to the village, residents and businesses on that stretch for welcoming us into town and supporting the show.”

"Lightyears" is scheduled to have eight episodes in its debut season. A release date for the series has not yet been announced.

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