Roebuck: Casting for latest film in Lehigh Valley a ‘no-brainer’
Bethlehem actor/director’s ‘The Hail Mary’ set to start filming in July
Bethlehem’s Daniel Roebuck could easily cast his next film entirely with Hollywood actors.
But he chose, once again, to go back to his Lehigh Valley roots.
“Coming into this town and finding these actors, it’s so funny to me because it’s such a no-brainer,” said Roebuck, the veteran actor/director and producer. “I don’t think a person making a movie about a football team and they are going to shoot in the Lehigh Valley, it would never occur to them to just come here and audition people. And imagine what they are missing out on.”
Roebuck and his team were at Bethlehem’s Pennsylvania Playhouse this week to finish casting for “The Hail Mary,” his third faith-based film. He’ll start shooting the film on July 20 at the former Mary Immaculate seminary in the Cherryville section of Lehigh Township.
Helping with casting was his longtime friend Rody Gilkeson, president of the Pennsylvania Playhouse.
“The Hail Mary” will center around an all-boys Catholic school led by a cantankerous Sister of St. Joseph — a Catholic religious order of women with 7,000 members in the United States. In the film, the sister meets a man (who will be played by Roebuck) who needs one more shot at redemption, so she cons him into creating a football team at her school, which is for boys with behavioral issues.
“The Hail Mary” is the second film project under his nonprofit, faithbased entertainment production company, “A Channel of Peace,” based in the Lehigh Valley. The company’s focus: To provide faith-filled, family entertainment.
“Coming into this town and finding these actors, it’s so funny to me because it’s such a no brainer.”Daniel Roebuck, actor/director/producer
It’s been quite a journey for “The Hail Mary.” Back in March 2020, Roebuck unveiled his plans for A Channel of Peace and announced with fanfare that the film would be its first project. Days after his announcement, COVID-19 hit Pennsylvania hard and much of the nation quickly went under state-at-home orders.
Plans for “The Hail Mary” came to a screeching halt.
Roebuck then shifted gears. He used the opportunity to work with his daughter, Grace Roebuck.
The father-daughter duo co-wrote “Lucky Louie,” a smaller project that was also Grace’s directorial debut. “Lucky Louie” is about a retired police officer, four ex-convicts and a behavioral science major who team up to solve a 50-year-old bank robbery. Using a small cast and production team, Roebuck shot the film last fall at sites around the Valley including Bangor and Bethlehem. “Lucky Louie” is currently in post-production.
With the pandemic inching to the background thanks to steadily increasing vaccination rates, Roebuck then moved forward with his plans for “The Hail Mary,” more than a year later than he had planned.
Originally Roebuck had an agreement to shoot at the former Mary Immaculate seminary with the property’s owner, developer David Jaindl.
Incredibly, all this time has passed and the property was still available for
Roebuck to use.
In addition to the seminary, Roebuck plans to shoot at Liberty High School in Bethlehem. He’ll use the stadium for some of the football scenes. Members of both the Liberty and Freedom high school bands will also perform as part of the movie.
Joseph Roy, superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, could not be happier.
“Both the Liberty band director
(Alan Frank) and the Freedom director (Mike Moran) are already at work planning how the bands will collaborate at summer band camp to put together the pieces for the film — in addition to their fall half time shows,” Roy said.
Roebuck said he anticipates shooting to take about a month. And he has a limited window of opportunity in his schedule.
While much of his professional focus is on his nonprofit production company, he’s still a working actor and this shooting schedule falls in between his projects. Just before he arrived back in the Valley, Roebuck finished up an undisclosed acting job in Budapest and he has another right after shooting is scheduled to wrap.
For now, he’s getting ready for “The Hail Mary.” He and Gilkeson had 140 people in the Valley express interest in auditioning.
Roebuck said he’ll cast seven or eight of those actors in the film, including the part of “Stephen,” a special-needs student.
Among the actors auditioning for that role was Matthew Morris, a 17-yearold from Easton and a student at Mercy School for Special Learning in Allentown. Roebuck chatted with Morris about football, favorite sports and movies.
“Are you someone who likes movies?” said Roebuck.
Morris’ face lit up. “I love ‘Shrek’ so much.” (Roebuck is a fan of the “Toy Story” franchise.)
For Roebuck, casting is more than just what you can remember your lines and deliver them. It’s the personality and emotion you bring. And sometimes it’s meeting actors where they are.
“Anyone can say words,” Roebuck said. “You cast people for what’s in between the words.”
To learn more about Roebuck’s nonprofit: achannelofpeace.org