NORTHAMPTON, Pa. - Bethlehem native and Hollywood actor Daniel Roebuck is feeling "lucky" about the Lehigh Valley.
Roebuck and his family returned to his hometown area Friday to unveil the upcoming release date for the independent film "Lucky Louie" at a news conference held at the Roxy Theatre.
- Hollywood actor and Bethlehem native Daniel Roebuck is releasing a new movie, "Lucky Louie," in April at the Roxy Theatre in Northampton
- The movie was filmed in the Leigh Valley and co-written and directed by his daughter, Grace
- Tickets to the screener cost $25 and benefit A Channel of Peace, an organization based in Bethlehem dedicated to creating faith-based films
'Heaven on Earth'
The faith-based movie is the second project that Roebuck, who splits his time between California and Florida, filmed in the area.
"There's no place as picturesque as the Lehigh Valley. I come here because that's important to me," he said. "To have these backdrops for the movie makes a big difference in how good the movie looks. It's a very cinematic area — heaven on Earth."
Roebuck wrote and directed 2017's "Getting Grace," which was applauded by the community and shot entirely on location in the Valley.
His third production, "Hail Mary," is another love letter to the region and will be released sometime next year (look for cameos in spots like Dorney Park outside Allentown and Bethlehem's Freedom and Liberty high schools).
"One of my favorite things about making movies here in the Lehigh Valley is showing people how beautiful it is," Roebuck said. "When we show these movies around the country, if there's a Q-and-A, the very first thing someone asks is, 'Is it really that beautiful there?'"
"One of my favorite things about making movies here in Lehigh Valley is showing people how beautiful it is. When we show these movies around the country, if there's a Q-and-A, the very first thing someone asks is: is it really that beautiful there?''Actor Daniel Roebuck
A family affair
Roebuck, known for his roles in the TV series “Lost” and “Matlock,” and in films such as "The Fugitive" and Rob Zombie's "The Munsters," plays one of the main characters in "Lucky Louie."
The comedy/mystery is about a retired cop who works with four ex-convicts and a behavioral science student to solve a 50-year-old bank robbery.
Filming began in the fall of 2020 and Roebuck recruited someone dear to his heart, daughter Grace, to co-write and direct the film.
"It's so much easier than either of us thought it would be. We thought it would be trickier on making decisions or choosing a direction," Grace said. "Because we wrote it together, so I remembered if he came up with one of the jokes, or if it was his idea for a specific scene. Those things made it easier because we do read each other's minds a little bit."
His wife, Tammy, and son, Buster, were also involved with the project that features several local theater buffs as its supporting cast.
Actors Mary Catherine Bracali of Allentown and her husband John learned about the project after meeting Roebuck several years ago through mutual friends.
"I only have a little bit in the movie, but it's lovely," she said. "Films like this really expose people to the Lehigh Valley since it will be shown nationwide — the talent here is beyond belief," she said. "My granddaughter, Emily Calvani, composed music for the film, and my nephew, Hal Miers, is also in the movie. It was wonderful that we all got to be together."
Raising money for charity
Proceeds from the sales will benefit A Channel of Peace, a Bethlehem-based organization that Roebuck founded to produce and support films and other multi-media projects centered around faith and family.
