'The Maiden Heist' art-caper film heading to DVD

Four of Hollywood's most beloved stars--Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy and Marcia Gay Harden--team up in the made-in-Boston film "The Maiden Heist," heading straight to DVD on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

"The Maiden Heist" DVD is loaded with bonus features, including a director, writer and producer commentary, deleted scenes, a bloopers reel and making-of featurette.

Initially unveiled at the American Film Market in Santa Monica last November to strong reviews, locals got a sneak peek at a screening in March at Worcester's Hanover Theatre.

"The Maiden Heist," formerly known as "The Lonely Maiden," stars Walken, Macy and Morgan Freeman in a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum.

The Worcester Art Museum's Renaissance Court and art galleries were transformed into the film's scene of the crime back in December 2007. Boston locations include South Boston's Murphy's Law and the fire-destroyed The Grecian Yearning in Allston.

Click here for the latest on "The Maiden Heist."

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"It was incredibly beneficial to the film. Our movie needed the scope the size of the Worcester Art Museum and we had a relatively modest budget (about $20 million), so it gave the film a look, a richness that we otherwise wouldn't have gotten."

--Producer Rob Paris says he got more bang for his buck filming scenes for his yet-to-be-released "The Maiden Heist" at the Worcester Art Museum.

"It's simple: I just respond to the story. I have since I first read it. That fact that it's set in Boston may be part of that, but I'm not out there looking to document Boston. I want to tell good stories."

--Ben Affleck, cover boy of the April issue of Esquire Magazine, insists that he's not worried about being pigeonholed as a Boston-only director.

“They said they liked our place because we had a really nice front door."

--Lauren Mauriello, who apparently has a nice brownstone on Broadway in South Boston, spills that she was contacted by a scout from Columbia Pictures to film at her home for the upcoming Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd flick tentatively titled "How Do You Know?"

"It's a great uplift in terms of spirits. It's been a long winter."

--Bob Coviello, owner of Main Street Antiques and member of the Essex Merchant group, says he's psyched that Essex selectmen entered into an agreement Monday night with Lakefront Productions Inc. to film a feature movie starring Adam Sandler at the town's Centennial Grove this summer.

--Photo courtesy Yari Film Group

'The Maiden Heist' show will go on in Worcester

Contrary to a report in the daily paper, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, stars of the made-in-Boston flick "The Maiden Heist," will offer a sneak peek of their art-heist comedy at Worcester's Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 7, 2009.

Yep, the show will go on. But, it may be your only chance to see the film on the big screen ... at least for awhile.

Fears that the Hanover Theatre gala was canceled were fueled after Yari Film Group's Emily Lambert e-mailed the Globe saying, "I don't anticipate any screenings of 'The Maiden Heist' in the near future."

While the sneak peek in Worcester is still a go, Yari Film Group's releasing arm, which was forced to file Chapter 11 back in December, has sent the film's producer Rob Paris scrambling to find a new distributor.

“I have no doubt we will find ourself with a wonderful new distributor,” he tells the Worcester Telegram. “It’s not a question of ‘if.’ It’s a question of ‘when’ and ‘who.’ ”

"The Maiden Heist," formerly known as "The Lonely Maiden," stars Walken, Macy and Morgan Freeman in a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum.

Proceeds from the movie gala will benefit The Worcester Art Museum. The WAM's Renaissance Court and art galleries were transformed into the film's scene of the crime back in December 2007. Boston locations include South Boston's Murphy's Law and the fire-destroyed The Grecian Yearning in Allston.

Paris along with the film's director Peter Hewitt and screenwriter Michael LeSieur are also scheduled to attend the premiere.

Click here for tickets, ranging from $30 to $200 for VIP access.

Photo credit Yari Film Group

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"These dudes were acting like I walked in the bar with a Yankees jersey on."

--Brody Jenner, known for his bad boy antics on "The Hills" and his latest MTV reality show "Bromance," responds to a verbal assault at Bocelli's Restaurant in Medford while courting "Bromance" winner Luke Verge in the season finale.

“When I saw (Paul Blart) I guess I could say it sure looked familiar."

--Alfred Thomas Catalfo, a writer and attorney in Dover, N.H., tells the Herald that the made-in-Massachusetts flick "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" may be a rip off of his previously-submitted script called "Mall Cop."

"I don't anticipate any screenings of 'The Maiden Heist' in the near future."

--Yari Film Group's Emily Lambert e-mails the Globe saying that the made-in-Boston flick "The Maiden Heist," slotted to be unveiled at Worcester's Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 7, 2009 , may not see the light of day.

“That was all her. We found out about it the next day.”

--Hasty Pudding Theatricals President David J. Andersson says Renee Zellweger--their Woman of the Year slotted to get her Pudding Pot on Thursday, Feb. 5--spilled the beans about her award to Dave Letterman on the "Late Show" before the Hasty Pudding crew could alert the press.

"[T]he role required a bad ass skater and well, I fit the bill.I really enjoyed my time in Boston working on the movie. I was there for the entire production and enjoyed the process and just tried to be a good soldier."

--Mike Vallely, "Drive on Fuel TV" host and lead singer for Revolution Mother, says his role as skateboarder Rudolph in "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" was a perfect fit.

``I’ve always loved to dance. That’s why I entered dirty-dancing contests."

--Eleanor Bergstein, writer and inspiration for the flick-turned-musical "Dirty Dancing," says she's smitten with the stage version of her dirty-dancing past hitting the Boston Opera House on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Made-in-Boston films slotted for release in 2009

In the comments section of a previous posting on the made-in-Boston flick "The Pink Panther 2," Loaded Gun reader Boston Knucklehead asks:

"I totally didn't even realize that this was filmed here locally. Where can we see what movies are being filmed in the area?"

Here's a comprehensive list in chronological order (including the two locally-shot films already released):

*Bride Wars, released Friday, Jan. 9
Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson play best friends who are pitted against each other when their wedding dates clash.

*Paul Blart: Mall Cop, released Friday, Jan. 16
Kevin James stars as Paul Blart in "Mall Cop," a comedy about a security guard trying to stop a group of organized crooks who take over a mall. While set at the fictional West Orange Pavilion Mall in New Jersey, a majority of the film was shot at the mall in nearby Burlington.

*Pink Panther 2, release Friday, Feb. 6
Martin's Jacques Clouseau teams up with a squad of bumbling International detectives in an attempt to stop a globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts.

*The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, release Friday, May 1
A bachelor played by Matthew McConaughey is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends (including Ben Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner) at his younger brother's wedding.

*The Maiden Heist, limited release in May
Starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, this made-in-Boston flick is a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum. Catch a sneak peek of the art-heist comedy at Worcester's Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 7, 2009.

*The Proposal, release Friday, June 12
Shot in the Bay State but set in NYC and Alaska? Diva boss Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) forces her assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her in order to keep from losing her visa status in NYC and avoid deportation to Canada. The Rockport-shot scenes act as a stand-in for ... get this ... Sitka, Alaska.

*The Surrogates, release Friday, Sept. 25
The film, set in Boston in the near future where humans interact with one another through surrogate robots, stars Bruce Willis as a cop who tracks down murderers.

*Shutter Island, release Friday, Oct. 2
Two U.S. marshals (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on an island near Boston. Based on Dennis Lehane's novel "Shutter Island."

*The Box, release Friday, Nov. 6
Based on the short story by Richard Matheson, "The Box" stars Cameron Diaz as Norma Lewis and James Marsden as Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child who receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. "The Box" is directed by "Donnie Darko" filmmaker Richard Kelly.

*Edge of Darkness, release Nov. 11 (limited)
Mel Gibson stars as a homicide detective for the Boston Police Dept. who digs up the many secrets surrounding the death of his activist daughter. "Edge of Darkness" was shot in Boston from Monday, Aug. 18 until Saturday, Nov. 22.

*The Governess, (filming postponed with release slotted for Dec. '09)
"The Governess" stars Jennifer Lopez as a thief who poses as a wealthy widower’s nanny who must come clean when she starts to fall for the man she initially planned to rob.

*Don McKay, release TBD
This Andover-shot flick starring Thomas Haden Church as Don McKay, a high school janitor who leaves his hometown after a tragedy and returns 25 years later to rekindle a romance with his old flame, played by Elisabeth Shue.

*The Hatteras, release TBD
This made-in-Rockport thriller, with a working title of "Hatteras Hotel," follows a Boston police officer who becomes sheriff of a fictional New England town called Salem Harbor. His first case is to investigate the mysterious circumstances of a teen found dead after a night of partying at the "Hatteras Hotel."

*The Invention of Lying, release in 2010
Formerly titled "This Side of Truth," the Ricky Gervais comedy starring Tina Fey is set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.

*Black Mass project, release in 2010
Jim Sheridan, the acclaimed Irish filmmaker of "My Left Foot" and "In the Name of the Father," plans to film the quintessential Whitey Bulger flick based on the book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob." Filming is slotted for April.

'The Maiden Heist' premieres at Hanover Theatre

Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, stars of the made-in-Boston flick "The Maiden Heist," are slotted to offer a sneak peek of their art-heist comedy at Worcester's Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 7, 2009.

Initially unveiled at the American Film Market in Santa Monica last November to strong reviews, the screening in March will mark its world premiere with a national release scheduled for May 2009.

"The Maiden Heist," formerly known as "The Lonely Maiden," stars Walken, Macy and Morgan Freeman in a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum.

Proceeds from the movie gala will benefit The Worcester Art Museum. The WAM's Renaissance Court and art galleries were transformed into the film's scene of the crime back in December 2007. Boston locations include South Boston's Murphy's Law and the fire-destroyed The Grecian Yearning in Allston.

The film's director Peter Hewitt, producer Rob Paris and screenwriter Michael LeSieur are also scheduled to attend the premiere.

Click here for tickets, ranging from $30 to $200 for VIP access.

UPDATE: "I don't anticipate any screenings of 'The Maiden Heist' in the near future," Yari Film Group's Emily Lambert e-mails the Globe saying that the made-in-Boston flick "The Maiden Heist," slotted to be unveiled at Worcester's Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 7, 2009 , may not see the light of day.

Made-in-Boston films impacted by YFG bankruptcy

"What Doesn't Kill You," the made-in-Boston flick by Brian Goodman and starring Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke and Amanda Peet, was slotted for a larger re-release by Yari Film Group in 2009 after a limited showing in NYC and Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 12.

However, after the YFG announced this past week that their releasing division was forced to file Chapter 11, the Los Angeles Times reports that the film is now on the hunt for a new distributor.

"What Doesn't Kill You" has earned rave reviews this past week from USA Today and the New York Times. "South Boston is the new Bronx," writes USA Today's Claudia Puig, adding that the film is "a terrific character-driven tale about small-time criminals."

Also, the release of "The Maiden Heist," another Yari Film Group release shot in Boston and starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, could be negatively impacted by the news that YFG is filing Chapter 11.

"Heist"--a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum--was shopped around at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, Calif. this past November. Buzz surrounding the film is extremely positive.

As mentioned in Loaded Gun, the third made-in-Boston YFG feature "The Governess" starring Jennifer Lopez is unaffected by bankruptcy news with filming slotted for early 2009.

Click here for more information.

J-Lo film proceeds while YFG files Chapter 11

Jennifer Lopez's new made-in-Boston flick "The Governess," now slotted for production in the Hub during the first quarter of 2009, is reportedly not affected by the news that its producers, Yari Film Group, has put the releasing arm of its movie business into Chapter 11 reorganization.

Variety reports that the Bob Yari surprised staffers on Friday, Dec. 12 with an e-mail warning of impending layoffs.

“Our goal is to aggressively work toward reorganizing our debt so that we can become a stronger company,” Yari writes via e-mail. “In the meantime, our production arms are distinct entities with separate financing which remain unaffected by the legal proceedings."

The news reconfirms reports that Jennifer Lopez's "The Governess" is still greelit with pre-production already in the works.

Yari Film Group recently shot two films in Boston--the Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke movie "What Doesn't Kill You" by Brian Goodman and "The Maiden Heist" starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy.

Nigel Cole's "The Governess" with Jennifer Lopez, initially scheduled to be shot in Boston this past September, has been moved to early next year.

In "The Governess," Jennifer Lopez plays a thief who poses as a wealthy widower’s nanny who must come clean when she starts to fall for the man she initially planned to rob.

Click here for the lowdown.

The week in quotes from Hollywood in the Hub

"Production would be severely disrupted if I had to miss a day or more of shooting to attend (a) deposition in Los Angeles."

--Mel Gibson responds to a court order for an in-person deposition earlier this week over a $10 million dispute with "The Passion of the Christ" screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald. Meanwhile, Gibson reportedly wrapped up filming of the made-in-Boston flick "Edge of Darkness" this past weekend.

"People are just mesmerized. They're dropping names like Julia Roberts and saying you're all going to have jobs."

--Ann Marie Flanagan, a town meeting member in Plymouth, tells the Associated Press why she voted against the soon-to-be-built $488 million film and TV complex called the Plymouth Rock Studios, complete with 14 sound stages and a 10-acre back lot.

"If you are able and you choose to, please come to the audition dressed as a gang member."

--Boston Casting posts in its search for male Hispanic gang members for a made-in-Boston TV pilot.

“Most filmmakers are caught up in what they want to make. However, without several huge stars, big budgets just don’t happen.”

--President of International Sales and Distribution of the Burbank-based Alpine Pictures, Anthony Rene Torres, says about the slew of films--including the made-in-Boston "Maiden Heist" with Christopher Walken and Morgan Freeman--premiering at the American Film Market in Santa Monica.

Cops and robbers rule crop of Boston-based films

With all eyes on Mel Gibson’s film "Edge of Darkness," a few made-in-Boston projects have flown under the Hollywood-in-the-Hub radar. With a slew of features and TV pilots in various stages of production, there seems to be a recurring theme:

Hollywood is fixated with Boston-based cops and robbers.

The trend reminds me of the beginning of "The Departed"--Boston's ultimate cops-and-thugs film--when Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello says:

"When I was your age, they would say you could become cops or criminals. What I'm saying is this: When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?"

Here’s a lineup of upcoming projects (either in pre-production, production or slotted for release within the next year) featuring Boston’s finest and most wanted:

*Ashecliffe
Two U.S. marshals (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane on an island near Boston. Based on Dennis Lehane's novel "Shutter Island."

*Boondock Saints II
The underground indie flick returns following fraternal twins on a mission to clean up the Boston underworld while being tracked down by a FBI agent. The sequel is set in Boston but shot in Toronto.

*Bunker Hill
Dorchester native and NKOTB Donnie Wahlberg stars in the Jerry Bruckheimer drama TV pilot for TNT. Tom Brady’s baby momma, Bridget Moynahan, is slotted to play a Boston cop widow and sister-in-law to Wahlberg’s Mike Moriarty, a Boston cop determined to protect the streets he grew up on from crime and corruption.

*Code of Silence
A film slotted to begin filming in March from "Townies" writer/director Mike O'Dea, "Code of Silence" follows boxer Mickey Callaghan with an extraordinary family legacy ... his father John Callaghan is a feared and ruthless Winter Hill crime boss.

*Edge of Darkness
Mel Gibson stars as a homicide detective for the Boston Police Dept. who digs up the many secrets surrounding the death of his activist daughter.

*The Governess
With filming scheduled in the Boston area this winter, "The Governess" stars Jennifer Lopez as a thief who poses as a wealthy widower’s nanny who must come clean when she starts to fall for the man she initially planned to rob.

*Hatteras Hotel
This made-in-Rockport thriller follows a Boston police officer who becomes sheriff of a fictional New England town called Salem Harbor. His first case is to investigate the mysterious circumstances of a teen found dead after a night of partying at the "Hatteras Hotel."

*The Maiden Heist
Starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, this made-in-Boston flick is a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum.

*Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Kevin James stars as Paul Blart in "Mall Cop," a comedy about a security guard trying to stop a group of organized crooks who take over a mall. While set at the fictional West Orange Pavilion Mall in New Jersey, a majority of the film was shot at the mall in nearby Burlington.

*The Surrogates
The film, set in Boston in the near future where humans interact with one another through surrogate robots, stars Bruce Willis as a cop who tracks down murderers.

*The Town
An adaptation of the Charlestown-based blue-collar heist novel by Chuck Hogan, "The Town" will feature Ben Affleck who recently signed on to write, star and direct in the film following a bizarre love triangle involving a crook, a female bank teller and a FBI agent.

*War of '04
Spike-TV has snagged a two-hour TV pilot centering around Irish gang warfare in Boston also known as "Madso's War." Walter Hill, an Emmy-award winner, is slotted to direct the scripted show while Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White is producing.

*What Doesn't Kill You
Based on a true story of two childhood friends who turn to crime to get by, Brian Goodman's "What Doesn't Kill You" is the latest made-in-Boston film (starring Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke) coming from the streets of South Boston. The movie is slotted for limited release in NYC and LA on Friday, Dec. 12.

(Photo: William H. Macy and Morgan Freeman in "The Maiden Heist," a Yari Film Group release)

Southie bar makes big-screen comeback in 'Heist'

First, "Gone Baby Gone" now "The Maiden Heist."

Murphy's Law, the colorful black-and-red neighborhood pub in South Boston at 837 Summer St. known for its quirky collection of bar decor including old superhero characters and barbie dolls, makes its big-screen comeback in "The Maiden Heist."

The Southie watering hole first served as a film location for the Ben Affleck-directed "Gone Baby Gone" in 2007 when Casey Alleck's character Patrick and gal pal Angie (Michelle Monaghan) strike a deal with Lionel McCready (Titus Welliver) to investigate the kidnapping of a little girl.

Once again, the Southie locale will make a movie cameo in "The Maiden Heist," formerly known as "The Lonely Maiden." The made-in-Boston flick, and starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy, is a comedy of errors following three museum security guards and their attempt to steal artwork after it's been transferred to another museum.

"The Maiden Heist" is slotted to make its world premiere at the American Film Market in Santa Monica on Wednesday, Nov. 5 with a repeat screening Sunday, Nov. 9.

Click here for the latest on "The Maiden Heist."

Grecian Yearning appears in made-in-Boston flick

The Grecian Yearning, a quintessential greasy spoon that served up old-school breakfast food on Harvard Ave. in Allston before being destroyed by an electrical fire on June 10, 2008, will make a comeback of sorts next month.

The mom-and-pop diner served as a film location for the movie "The Lonely Maiden"--now called "The Maiden Heist"--a made-in-Boston film starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy.

"The Maiden Heist" is slotted to make its world premiere at the American Film Market in Santa Monica next month--giving those yearning for The Grecian Yearning a chance to see the diner in all of its former glory.

The scene featuring the Grecian Yearning was shot in late November 2007.

Owner Nicholas Katsarikas and his wife, son and daughter all got to participate in the film shoot, playing — what else — the chef, cashier and wait staff at the diner.

Click here for the lowdown.

(Photo of Christopher Walken and Morgan Freeman in THE MAIDEN HEIST, a Yari Film Group release. ©2008 Yari Film Group Releasing.)