Why Should Illinois Thank Johnny Depp and Christian Bale?

Christian Bale is a nominee for an Oscar for his role in, but Illinois may want to appreciate him more for his roles inand.
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Christian Bale is a nominee for an Oscar for his role in American Hustle, but Illinois may want to appreciate him more for his roles in Public Enemies and The Dark Knight. The former, starring Bale alongside Johnny Depp (pictured), made the most money for Illinois, beating out two super hero movies (including the Dark Knight) and a film on a deadly virus.

All the films on our list are recent, so there is no Blues Brothers or Ferris Bueller on there. But we bet you've seen most of these movies. If you haven't, go ahead and rent them and appreciate the industry that created 4,200 jobs for Illinois in 2013. And make sure you get to the theaters later in 2014 for another major movie shot in the state!

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