There’s a soil sampling rig on the site of the Nobu Hotel, more than a month after ground-breaking ceremonies.

In movie-industry terms, the Robert De Niro-led Nobu Hotel planned for the West Loop could be in a production delay. It seems the film has been cast, and it looks like the plot will stay relatively true to the original screenplay. But there’s some doubt as to the length of the movie now. (I’ll let DNAInfo explain that.) Which, of course, could affect budget.

What I do know for sure is there are no permits in place for construction to begin at Nobu, other than a pseudo-demo permit to remove an old foundation from the site. And there was a soil sampling rig on the Nobu site at 846 West Randolph Street this week. That’s not terribly unusual to see at an active construction site, but it still feels odd when a big deal was made of the ground-breaking ceremony.

I guess what I’m saying is, I’d wait to buy your popcorn before seeing this De Niro production. It might get cold before the movie starts.