LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville is stepping into the spotlight this weekend with the release of "Dead Man’s Wire," a new film shot in the city and directed by Louisville native Gus Van Sant.
Set in 1977, the movie tells the true story of Tony Kiritsis, who took a mortgage company employee hostage at gunpoint in Indianapolis. A local television news crew happened to be nearby and captured much of the standoff on film, footage that later became central to the story.
Carey Elwes portrays Michael Grable, the real-life hostage negotiator who helped bring the incident to an end. Grable’s son, Jason Grable, said it was meaningful to see his father’s role expanded on screen.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they expanded Dad’s role and gave him more of a role in the movie,” Grable said. “That is really neat.”
Elwes, Grable said, took a meticulous approach to preparing for the role, frequently reaching out to the family for insight.
“I had been working with Carey for about a month and a half,” Grable said. “We would text, and he would ask me questions. He asked my brother, sister and me to complete biographies on our father.”
The film also stars Bill SkarsgĂĄrd and Al Pacino.
While the story itself is set in Indiana, much of "Dead Man’s Wire" was filmed in Louisville during January 2025 — a month marked by bitter cold and snow. Filming locations included areas near Louisville Gardens, River City Bank and the lobby of the 500 West Jefferson Street building. Vintage 1970s-style billboards installed for the production can still be seen in parts of the city.
Grable said he and his family were even invited to appear as extras.
“It was freezing cold, and we were out in it all day,” he said. “But we had a blast.”
Michael Grable's family pose for a picture in January 2025 on the set of "Dead Man's Wire" in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo courtesy of Michael Grable's family)
The recent snowfall during production helped recreate conditions from the day of the real-life incident nearly five decades ago, Grable said.
“He did a great job,” Grable said of Elwes’ performance. “If Dad were alive, he’d have a grin from ear to ear.”
The Louisville Film Office credits the city’s growth as a filming destination in part to Kentucky’s film tax incentives, among the most generous in the country.
“In the state of Kentucky, we have one of the most generous film tax incentives in the United States,” said Soozie Eastman of the Louisville Film Office. “That has really led to the uptick in productions here in our community.”
Grable and his family saw the film when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and said they’re eager for wider audiences to experience it.
“I think it’s a great piece of history, and the entertainment value is wonderful,” Grable said.
Dead Man’s Wire opens in theaters Friday, Jan. 16. To watch the trailer, click here.
The Louisville Film Office said several additional television shows and films are scheduled to shoot in the city this year. MovieMaker Magazine recently named Louisville one of the 25 best places to live and work as a filmmaker.
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