An inspiring film about four Vietnam veterans, a troubled teen and the unlikely bond that forms between them is currently under production in the Lehigh Valley, with some of its most pivotal scenes recently shot in Hellertown.

Men of Granite is an independent feature co-starring Bethlehem native Daniel Roebuck, who has produced and directed a number of indie films in and around the Christmas City over the past decade. Co-produced with his daughter, Grace Roebuck Butler, the movie tells the story of a cemetery honor guard whose lives are transformed when a 19-year-old man is assigned community service for damaging gravestones.

Over the past two weeks, scenes for the feature have been filmed at Union Cemetery and the Main Street business Robert C. Moll Monumental Crafts, which is well-known throughout the area for creating engraved stone monuments for cemeteries and other settings.

It was at Monumental Crafts that the cast and crew of Men of Granite spent the day filming on Tuesday. Daniel Roebuck was already acquainted with Bob Moll prior to the filming, and envisioned his business when the film’s script was being written, Grace explained.

Bob Moll was on the set throughout the day to consult on scenes that were being filmed, with other family members lending a hand, too.

Actor, director and producer Daniel Roebuck, left, is joined by Robert “Bob” Moll and family members and Grace Roebuck Butler (right) on the set of Men of Granite at Robert C. Moll Monumental Crafts in Hellertown.

“These guys have been such a blessing to us,” said Daniel, who noted that the cemetery across the street was also used as a location for his film Lucky Louie.

“In every movie there is a piece of another movie,” he said.

Roebuck first became well-known to a national audience in the 1990s when he starred on the TV series Matlock. He has appeared in countless other shows and movies over the past three decades. A 1981 graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School, he and his wife Tammy founded the production company A Channel of Peace to produce inspirational films; films Grace said are able to appeal to mainstream audiences through the stories they weave. Those stories often involve tales of redemption set against the backdrop of small town Pennsylvania.

Lucky Louie (2023) was shot on location in Bangor, while several of Roebuck’s other films–including Getting Grace (2017), Saint Nick of Bethlehem (2024) and The Hail Mary (2026)–have largely been filmed in the Bethlehem area. Additional shooting locations for Men of Granite have included the Hotel Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Southside Bethlehem, St. Luke’s Hospital – Sacred Heart Campus in Allentown, Yocco’s Hot Dogs in Allentown and American Fence & Flag in Whitehall.

“The Lehigh Valley has been so generous,” said Men of Granite producer and casting director Beth Clausnitzer, who has worked locally with Daniel Roebuck on numerous films since first meeting him as a Getting Grace extra nearly a decade ago.

She noted that one of the stars of Men of Granite is Noah Schafer, who plays troubled teenager Isaiah, and who will be a senior at Southern Lehigh High School this fall. Schafer has been involved with local musical theater, earning a Freddy Award nomination for one of his roles.

“He’s never done a feature film and he is doing amazing,” Clausnitzer said. “We are so proud of him.”

She added that several scenes for Men of Granite are set to be shot in Florida before filming for the production wraps up.

Co-writer and producer Grace Roebuck Butler watches as filming of a scene takes place at Robert C. Moll Monumental Crafts in Hellertown.

Grace Roebuck Butler said the movie is tentatively scheduled for a fall 2027 release, but that timeline will depend on the post-production schedule, which she said can be “tricky.”

As co-producers, Grace and her father’s end goal, she said, is to put out a movie that looks like it was produced by a major film studio even though it was actually shot on a more modest budget.

She said that while themes related to faith are central to Men of Granite and other films produced by Channel of Peace, the storytelling within them appeals to individuals from all walks of life. Ultimately, the aim is to produce family-friendly films that feel authentic without being repetitive.

More information and updates about Men of Granite can be found on the Channel of Peace Facebook page and Achannelofpeace.org.