It was a homecoming for the cast and crew of “The Hail Mary” movie, who reunited Jan. 9 at a press conference in the Bethlehem Catholic High School auditorium.

Approximately 200 were greeted by the sounds of the Bethlehem Catholic Marching Band and cheers of the Varsity cheerleaders.

WAEB-790’s Bobby Gunther Walsh kicked off the press conference, welcoming supporters, cast and crew of “The Hail Mary,” and introducing Daniel Roebuck as the man “who stars in movies and directs movies.”

Roebuck announced that “The Hail Mary” red-carpet premiere will take place Feb. 21 at 11 a.m., Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas; 3 p.m., Bethlehem Catholic High School auditorium, and 7 p.m., Roxy Theatre, Northampton.

Sponsor Trans-Bridge Lines will transport the cast to the venues. Yocco’s Hot Dogs and Markee Wealth Management are also sponsors for the premiere. A commemorative program, similar to high school football programs, will be available.

“The Hail Mary” begins its theatrical motion picture run Feb. 27 at the Boyertown State Theatre, Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, and the Roxy Theatre.

Roebuck hinted about a future announcement that the movie “will be going somewhere else that brings me joy.” An audience member inquired if showings would be held at Shankweiler’s Drive-In. While Roebuck appeared hopeful, it is not definitive at this time.

Roebuck unveiled the movie poster that depicts him, Sister Kathy, football players and the stadium crowd.

“The Hail Mary” is written and produced by Roebuck, a Bethlehem native and Bethlehem Catholic High School graduate, Class of 1982.

Roebuck has 292 actor credits on Internet Movie Database, including for the theatrical movies, “River’s Edge” (1986), “The Fugitive” (1993), “Final Destination” (2000) and “The Munsters” (2022) and television’s “Matlock” (1987-1995), “The Late Shift” (1995), “Lost” (2005-2010), “Glee” (2010-2012) and “The Man in the High Castle” (2015-2016).

More recently, Roebuck has devoted his time to acting and directing faith-based films through A Channel of Peace productions, including “Saint Nick of Bethlehem” (2024), “Lucky Louie” (2023) and “Getting Grace” (2017).

When he took to the podium at the press conference, Roebuck was emotional as he acknowledged the cast, crew and production staff of “The Hail Mary,” which began filming in summer 2021.

“It’s like we’ve come back from war. They [the school boys] all grew up,” Roebuck said, recalling each of the film’s student actors by name.

Roebuck said that cast member Alice Freeh of Center Valley died Nov, 27, 2021, prior to the movie’s completion. Freeh was Bethlehem Catholic theater director for many years. Roebuck said that Freeh “did so much here at Beca.”

Hawk Hill Pictures, a Pittsburgh-based independent film distributor, partnered with A Channel of Peace for “The Hail Mary.” Roebuck noted that “we don’t just make movies. We teach people how to make movies.”

A “Hail Mary” in football involves a long, desperate forward pass thrown at the end of the game or the first-half when little hope exists for success. In 1975, Dallas Cowboys’ Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard pass with a prayer and Drew Pearson caught the game-winning touchdown during the NFC Playoffs against the Minnesota Vikings. Staubach referred to his “Hail Mary” prayer in a post-game interview.

The long odds for a miracle are evident on a variety of levels for “The Hail Mary” movie, which explains why Roebuck chose the title.

In the movie, Jake (Daniel Roebuck) is persuaded by Sister Kathy (Marsha Dietlein) to help organize troublesome school boys into a football team, which in itself could be considered a miracle. More importantly, Sister Kathy sees Jake as a “lost soul who needs redemption and atonement.” If she can help save Jake, that could be considered a “Hail Mary.”

The long stretch of time, energy and effort by the team involved with making the movie could also be evidence of a “Hail Mary.” It took five years after filming was completed to bring the movie to its premiere on the big screen.

At the press conference, the audience was excited to see the movie’s trailer, which depicts the Liberty High School Grenadier and Freedom High School Patriot bands, Bethlehem Catholic football team and cheerleaders and the Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.

The comedic film utilizes Sister Kathy’s sense of humor and purpose to engage Jake, an angry loner, and help him find redemption by coaching a football team at the all-boys Catholic school.

In the trailer for the movie, Sister Kathy’s humorous side is evident when she is caught drinking wine and says, “It’s 4 o’clock. It’s Communion somewhere.” Her more serious side is revealed when she explains that she wanted the football team formed “not to win games.” She tells Jake, “I wanted to win a soul.”

At the press conference, the cast and crew discussed the challenges of making the movie. Roebuck felt that doing football plays at 4 a.m. was difficult: “The Liberty High School football team would leave the field about 9 p.m. and then we’d move on and play throughout the night into the early morning until the sun came out.”

One of the school boys, Joey Draper of Lower Macungie Township said it was a challenge “to have to stop everything [filming] because the trains could be heard at 3 a.m.” Draper, 22, a son of Lisa and Drew Draper, is a senior at The Pennsylvania State University. He was an Emmaus High School senior when he was in “The Hail Mary.”

Roebuck said that one scripted day called for rain, and it rained. A cast member told Roebuck that because “it rained when we needed it to rain, you must have an ‘in’ with Jesus.” Roebuck laughed, “I named the film after his Mother!”

An emotional Roebuck recollected that as a student he would tell Sister Kathleen that he was going to write stories and make films. Sister Kathleen died before “The Hail Mary” was made. Her family gifted Roebuck Sister Kathleen’s rosary. Said Roebuck, “This movie is my love letter to religious sisters. The heart of the church is the nuns. They are the love [of the church].”

A montage that was shown depicted Lehigh Valley locations in the film, including The Jaindl Land Company’s former Mary Immaculate Seminary, Lehigh Township; Bethlehem Area School District Stadium; Alliance Fire Company; Northampton Diner, Elek Plumbing, and Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, South Whitehall Township.

Roebuck noted that once films are made, “they are forever.” He said that numerous locations for the film, as well as his other films, “Getting Grace,” “Lucky Louie” and “Saint Nick of Bethlehem,” include places that are gone or have changed, including Martin Tower, Pete’s Hot Dogs, Roadside America, the original Moravian Book Shop, Bushkill Park, and Fidelity Bank, Bangor. The former Mary Immaculate Seminary is planned to become a mixed-use development that includes a hotel, meeting and event space.

Roebuck thanked his wife, Tammy; his producers; Beth Clausnitzer, casting and producing, and Kevin Culligan, who provided the football equipment.

Roebuck also thanked Managing Partner, Hotel Bethlehem, Bruce Haines; Director of Bethlehem Mayor’s Initiatives Angela Stein, in attendance on behalf of Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds; Bethlehem Catholic Principal Dr. Dean Donaher; Bethlehem Area School District Communications Manager Jennifer LoConte, and Liberty High School Grenadier Band Director Allen Frank.

Roebuck thanked film sponsors, including Hotel Bethlehem, St. Luke’s University Health Network; Jaindl Land Company, Inc.; American Fence, and Yocco’s Hot Dogs. “This movie was made with donations,” said Roebuck.

Roebuck said his next film, “Men of Granite,” is to begin filming in late summer 2026. The cast will include Roebuck, Bill George, Joe Estevez and Ted Neeley, who portrayed Jesus in the movie, “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973).

Roebuck joked, “If anyone can get Jesus back to Bethlehem, I can.”

Individuals and businesses interested in placing an ad in the program or becoming a sponsor for the movie premiere, may contact Tammy Roebuck at 813-309-8821.

Tickets for the movie premiere can be purchased by texting T23134 to 49514 for a link, or at:

https://runsignup.com/TicketEvent/TheHailMaryMoviePremiere