Barry Levinson's "Liberty Heights" Filming in Baltimore.

BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 27, 1998--Principal photography began Oct. 6 on "Liberty Heights," written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson, on location in Baltimore.

The announcement was made by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, president, Warner Bros. Worldwide Theatrical Production. Warner Bros. will distribute the Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures production worldwide.

"Liberty Heights" continues Levinson's funny and dramatic series of Baltimore-based films ("Diner," "Tin Men," "Avalon") focusing on the changing times of the mid-1950s and the issues of religion, race and class distinction.

"Liberty Heights" is produced by Barry Levinson and Paula Weinstein, with Patrick McCormick serving as executive producer. Chris Doyle is the director of photography and Stu Linder is the editor. The production is designed by Vincent Peranio.

The film features an ensemble cast starring Adrien Brody ("The Thin Red Line," Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam"), Bebe Neuwirth (Woody Allen's "Celebrity," "Jumanji"), and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna ("Celebrity," HBO's "The Rat Pack").

Additional lead actors include Vincent Guastaferro ("The Spanish Prisoner," "State of Grace"), Orlando Jones ("MAD TV," "New Jersey Turnpike"), David Krumholz ("Slums of Beverly Hills") and Kiersten Warren ("Maximum Bob").

Making their feature-film debuts in "Liberty Heights" are model Justin Chambers (featured in the new Calvin Klein campaign), Ben Foster (Disney Television's "Flash Forward"), Richard Kline (ABC-TV's "Three's Company") and supermodel Carolyn Murphy (who has graced the covers of Paris Vogue, Vogue and Allure magazines).

Singer/songwriter Tom Waits is writing original songs and Ennio and Andres Morricone are writing the score for the film.

Barry Levinson was awarded the 1988 Best Director Oscar for "Rain Man," starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. "Rain Man" also won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Screenplay.

In 1987, Levinson directed Robin Williams in the comedy "Good Morning, Vietnam," which became one of the year's most acclaimed and popular movies. In 1991, "Bugsy," which Levinson directed and produced (with Warren Beatty), was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Levinson has used his hometown of Baltimore as the setting for three widely praised features: "Diner," the semiautobiographical comedy-drama that marked his directorial debut; "Tin Men," starring Danny DeVito and Richard Dreyfuss as two warring aluminum-siding salesmen; and "Avalon," an evocative multigenerational story of an American family.

As a screenwriter, Levinson has received three Academy Award nominations for "...And Justice For All," "Diner" and "Avalon." Levinson's other directorial credits include "The Natural," starring Robert Redford; "Young Sherlock Holmes"; "Toys" (co-written with Valerie Curtin); "Jimmy Hollywood," which he also wrote and produced; "Disclosure," starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore; "Sleepers," which he adapted from Lorenzo Carcaterra's controversial book; the political satire "Wag the Dog," starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro; and "Sphere," starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone and Samuel L. Jackson.

Levinson returned to Baltimore to film the television series "Homicide: Life On the Street." His work on the critically acclaimed drama earned him an Emmy Award for Best Individual Director of a Dramatic Series, as well as two Peabody Awards.

Levinson produced the Robert Redford-directed "Quiz Show," which was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. He also produced the hard-hitting drama "Donnie Brasco," starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.

Levinson and producer Paula Weinstein have recently partnered in Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures, with "Analyze This," starring Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro, marking their first film.

Paula Weinstein joined Warner Bros. as vice president of Production in 1976 and later enlisted with 20th Century Fox as senior vice president of Worldwide Production, developing and producing such films as "Nine to Five" and "Brubaker."

In 1979, she relocated to The Ladd Co., collaborating on such films as "Body Heat," Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut. Weinstein later moved to United Artists as president of the Motion Picture Division, where she supervised all productions.

In 1984, Weinstein started WW Productions in partnership with Gareth Wigan that, among other projects, produced "American Flyers" for Warner Bros.

In 1987, she also assumed the title of executive consultant to MGM's worldwide division, which allowed her to continue producing independent projects such as "A Dry White Season" (for which Marlon Brando was nominated for an Academy Award) and "The Fabulous Baker Boys," nominated for four Academy Awards, which she jointly produced with Mirage Productions in 1989.

In 1990, Paula Weinstein and Mark Rosenberg created Spring Creek Productions. Their first produced feature film was "Fearless," directed by Peter Weir, which earned Rosie Perez an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress.

Spring Creek's second film was "Flesh and Bone," written and directed by Steve Kloves and starring Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and James Caan. Weinstein and Rosenberg also executive produced the HBO telefilm "Citizen Cohn," which won four Emmy Awards, three Cable Ace Awards and was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards.

In 1993, Weinstein produced Alek Keshishian's "With Honors," and Spring Creek executive produced "House of the Spirits," based on the Isabel Allende novel. Weinstein executive produced the NBC movie of the week "Because Mommy Works," and the Emmy Award-winning "Truman," starring Gary Sinise and directed by Frank Pierson for HBO Films.

In 1995, Weinstein produced "Something to Talk About," directed by Lasse Hallstrom and starring Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid and Gena Rowlands.