First it was Batman, now it’s Superman. Hollywood movie crews are becoming a regular occurrence in Chicago as the city opens its arms to the filming of yet another action-packed superhero sequel.

Those who spent any time downtown last summer may recall the excitement (and street closures) from the filming of "Transformers 3" which was in Chicago for seven weeks of shooting in 2010. And in 2004, the Windy City served as the backdrop for Gotham City in "Batman Begins" as well as its sequel "The Dark Knight" in 2007. Now, the motion picture industry will return to Chicago to shoot scenes for "Superman: Man of Steel," a guaranteed Blockbuster slated for release in December 2012.

With its third big screen filming in almost the same number of years, Chicago is building a reputation as a hot spot for directors to shoot their next big hit. Superman’s director Zack Snyder will be in town this August and September with his star-studded cast (including Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) to make a 21st Century version of the classic comic book character’s extraordinary adventures. In addition to Chicago, the movie will be on location in Naperville and Plano (which is rumored to portray Clark Kent’s childhood home of Smallville).

While most details about "Superman: Man of Steel" have been kept under tight wraps, it is expected that the majority of Chicago-area filming will take place at the suburban sets in Plano and Naperville. The film has an estimated budget of $175 million and is anticipated by the Chicago Film Office to provide another shot in the arm for the local economy as the Transformers and Batman productions did the past several years. Since 2003, the moviemaking industry in Illinois has pumped over $679 million into the state’s economy (and that doesn’t even take into account the more than 20 films shot here in 2010).

Want to be an extra in the Superman sequel? There’s an open casting call in Chicago next week (Saturday, June 25) at the Chicago Academy for the Arts from 11am to 4pm. According to an article published in Crain’s this Wednesday, the studio needs a variety of adults and children to be extras, photo doubles and stand-ins. They are specifically interested in twin babies and "military/athletic types." Additional casting calls will be held at Naperville’s DePaul University campus this Saturday (June 18) from 11am to 4pm and at Plano High School next Wednesday (June 22) from 6pm to 8pm.