Byline: Barbara Vancheri

May 03--A recent People magazine story about Tom Sizemore was headlined: "I've Come Out the Other Side." Now, the other side -- of addiction and "Celebrity Rehab" -- is leading the actor to Pittsburgh where he will star in a new movie, "Mob Priest" alongside Robert Davi. Mr. Sizemore, whose credits include "Heat," "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down," tells his story in a new book, "By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There." Gavin Rapp and Ron Hankison, who shared directing duties on "Since I Don't Have You," are starting this new project, "Mob Priest" also featuring Ken Champion, Sean Derry, Kristin Spatafore, Buster Maxwell, Tim Yurkewicz and Zack Meekins. They plan to start shooting the $3 million movie, set in Pittsburgh, in September in Pittsburgh locations such as the North Side, Lawrenceville and Downtown, but will have their leading men in town next week to scout locations and shoot publicity shots. A site has been launched at themobpriest.com where you can find a description. Mr. Sizemore will play a character called Mob Boss Johnny, who rules young gangs and extorts money from the community and local businesses leaving them poor and afraid. Mr. Davi's character is Father Trovato, a Vietnam veteran assigned at his request to troubled parishes and to a prison as a chaplain. "The Mob Priest" builds to a confrontation over the fate of a struggling parish and, apparently, a few souls. Mr. Rapp, who told the emotional story of his tumultuous childhood and famous vocalist mother Janet Vogel Rapp in "Since I Don't Have You," is writing the screenplay.

Mr. Rapp sent the script to the agents for Mr. Sizemore and Mr. Davi and they liked it and thought it was a novel twist on mob stories. As for Mr. Sizemore's history, Mr. Rapp said, "I, like anyone else, think people deserve second chances. Tom is one of those guys, his work speaks for itself." Locking down the two lead actors should help...