Change on 'Little Chicago' movie project

by billwilson2002 | September 27, 2008 at 09:08 am

1394 views | 12 Recommendations | 5 comments

BRADFORD, Pa. �” Producers of the “Little Chicago” movie came out with more news this week when they announced that a new director, Jason Wiles, has taken over the reigns of the film.

Executive producer Carl Veno said Mr. Wiles, an actor who played Bosco Boscorelli in the television series “Third Watch,” is expected to take the film in a direction that will produce a big-name star to play the lead role in the movie.

“With his (Mr. Wiles’) connections in Hollywood, he becomes very desirable to us,” Mr. Veno said. “The problem we’ve had for the last four or five months is getting a superstar ... everything is predicated on getting a star.”

Mr. Veno, a native of Olean, N.Y., said it was decided that a new director was needed to help make that happen. Mr. Wiles appeared in all six seasons of “Third Watch” and is moving into the fields of directing, writing and theater. Also hired for production work on the film are Luca Palanca and Kurt Tuffendsam.

“He (Mr. Wiles) was recognized on the street here,” Mr. Veno said of the new director. “We were getting a pizza in Pizza Napoli ... and a guy said to him ‘Are you Bosco from Third Watch?’”

Mr. Veno said the new director is “passionate about the script” and believes the story concept will make a great film. The script is based on Mr. Veno’s book “Invisible Ink” and tells the story of gangsters who lived in the Olean and Bradford areas during the Prohibition era.

“We had to rewrite some things (with the script),” Mr. Veno said. “I had to change the front end and now it’s very powerful.”

Mr. Wiles said he has been in the area the past week to assess film locations and work that needs to be done.

“Obviously, there’s a new regime that has come in and we’re here to try to bring Carl’s dream to life, to the big screen,” Mr. Wiles said.

Mr. Tuffensdam agreed and said he believes it’s a “great script and an incredible opportunity to make a great film.”

Mr. Veno said that once a star is signed on to play the role of the main character in the movie, filming is expected to begin in the next few months.

“We think it’s a great role for an A-list actor. Who doesn’t want to be part of a period piece?” Mr. Wiles sai. “It’s a portrait of a real person with real feelings and emotions, and the ups and downs of that time ... we want to make a film that matters.”

Mr. Veno said he has been asked if he was pulling the film out of the area because of greater tax breaks offered in other states.

“The story is here and all of our locations are here,” Mr. Veno said.

Mr. Wiles said he also would prefer to make the film in the area because the Twin Tiers region is where the story took place.

“We like having real people (from the area) who were involved with these characters, and being able to interview people like Jimmy Piscitelli,” Mr. Wiles said. Mr. Piscitelli, 98, of Bradford knew the story’s main character, Al Ritchie, and has served as a consultant for the film.

Mr. Tuffensdam said another benefit in making the film in the area is that the local residents and businesses have been very accommodating.

“There are people who are renovating buildings and people at the train station are making renovations to the trains because of the film,” he said.

Promotional filming for the movie’s trailer, which took place in the Bradford area in November and December of last year, used a number of young actors from Pennsylvania and New York. Producers said extras who auditioned for the movie in the past are still on file to be contacted when filming begins.

Since the completion of the trailer, Mr. Veno has worked on various aspects of the film such as securing tax credit through the state, as well as financial backing from private investors. The film reportedly has a budget of approximately $15 million.

“For the last couple of months everybody has been asking me, ‘When are you going to start it (filming)?” Mr. Veno said.

The producers noted that the amount of time the film is taking is relatively short, as it took five to six years to film the movie “Cast Away” and 11 years to film “The Apostle.”

Mr. Palanca said they hope to find actors who are passionate about performing in the movie and not just “looking for a paycheck,” so it could take extra time.

“Carl has a vision and that’s the vision he wants (for the movie),” Mr. Palanca said. “He doesn’t care if it takes another month, but he’s going to get this done the way he wants it done.”

Filming is expected to take place in the Bradford, Kane and Olean areas, as well as in surrounding areas that include the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca, N.Y., and Niagara Falls.

(Contact reporter Kate Day Sager at kates_th@yahoo.com)

BREAKOUT

Local interest in the “Little Chicago” movie has been kept up through the new store located in the film headquarters on Davis Street in Bradford.

Dee Gould of the local production staff said the sales of hats, jackets, T-shirts, sports items, mouse pads, cups and other memorabilia have sold well at the Little Chicago Sports Shop.

Ms. Gould said memorabilia also is selling well at the Main Street Mercantile in Bradford, the Sports Locker on West State Street in Olean, N.Y., and at stores in Kane and Arcade.

“This is something that Carl (Veno) decided to do for our community because we don’t have it here,” Ms. Gould said of the film’s executive producer. “And prior to shooting, we want to get some name-brand merchandise (jeans and other clothing) in here along with the Little Chicago merchandise.”