Brookfield Zoo Chicago has quietly been the site of filming for a new Christmas romance movie.
Filming for “Christmas at the Zoo” took place from Thursday, Dec. 4, through Saturday, Dec. 13, Julianne Olivo, the zoo’s director of public relations, confirmed to the Landmark.
The film is directed by Danny Buday, with production and a story from Very Merry Entertainment, a holiday film production house, Olivo said in an email. It stars Matt Cohen as Shane, an animal care expert working at the zoo, and Brittany Underwood as Alicia, Shane’s love interest.
Olivo said the production filmed scenes out of order to work around the zoo’s holiday operating hours so that guests wouldn’t have their visits impacted by unexpected habitat closures. On days when the zoo was open during the day, film crews took their places to get scenes that will take place in the evening, and vice versa, she said.
Olivo said the production deal to film at the zoo was reached about two years ago. Many iconic locations at the zoo, including its dolphin show, will be featured in the film. She said the writers and producers may have had the zoo in mind for the movie due to growing up and attending college nearby.
Olivo invited the Landmark behind the scenes during the filming of a dramatic scene toward the end of the movie, when Underwood as Dana searches the zoo for Cohen’s Shane while he leads a penguin encounter, a real offering where guests can learn about — and get to meet — some of the zoo’s Humboldt penguins.
Some of the zoo’s actual penguins were featured in the scene, swapped out one-by-one to simulate the encounter over the long course of filming. Extras, including Dr. Michael Adkesson, the zoo’s CEO and president, sat in place of real guests.
“They’re the stars of the show,” Underwood said of her avian scene partners, which she and Cohen got to interact with more directly in another part of the film. “I’ve never been so happy to be upstaged in my life.”
According to Patch, filming for other portions of the movie will take place in Libertyville through Sunday, Dec. 21, inside businesses and private residences and on the street.
Correction, Dec. 16, 2025, 5:20 p.m.: A previous version of this story misnamed the character played by Underwood. She plays Alicia, while Arti Ishak plays a character named Dana. The Landmark regrets the error.
