'We Have a Ghost,' 'Leo' and more movies with South Shore ties

Sony-Marvel’s “Spider-Man” superhero spinoff “Madame Web,” which filmed scenes at Union Point in Weymouth, had its release pushed back to Feb. 16, 2024, but there are about a dozen other movies with South Shore and Boston ties coming soon to a theater or streamer near you.

‘Bill Russell: Legend’ to debut on Netflix

Director Sam Pollard (“MLK/FBI") helms an in-depth documentary on late Celtics legend Bill Russell's life and legacy. The two-part film will begin streaming on Netflix on Feb. 8. The documentary features the last interview with Russell before his death July 31, 2022, as well as commentary from Larry Bird, Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jayson Tatum and more. Russell won 11 championships during his 13 seasons with the Celtics. The documentary is narrated by actors Jeffrey Wright and Corey Stoll.

See Norwell native Jennifer Coolidge in 'We Have a Ghost’

Norwell’s Jennifer Coolidge, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for “The White Lotus,” continues her hot streak with the supernatural adventure comedy “We Have a Ghost,” streaming Feb. 24 on Netflix. Coolidge plays a red-headed psychic named Judy Romano in the movie, which is about a family that moves into a haunted house. Their ghost turns into an internet star as they try to solve the mystery surrounding his murder. Joining Coolidge in the cast are David Harbour (“Stranger Things”), Jahi Winston (“Proud Mary”), Anthony Mackie (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) and Tig Notaro (“Army of the Dead”).

‘Boston Strangler’ will debut on Hulu in March

"Boston Strangler,” a true-crime drama about the two trailblazing South Shore female reporters who broke the story of the infamous serial killer, will debut March 17 on Hulu. Written and directed by Matt Ruskin (“Crown Heights”), the movie started filming in December 2021 at locations in Boston and surrounding towns, including the old Foster Elementary School in Braintree. Other shooting locations were Belmont, Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Lynn, Lowell, Wellesley and Malden. Filming wrapped last March.  “Boston Strangler” centers on how the late Milton journalist Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) and her fellow Boston Record American reporter, Scituate native Jean (Cole) Harris, challenged the sexism of the early 1960s in covering the story. They were the first reporters to connect the murders to one suspect now known as the Boston Strangler. Despite derision and ridicule from investigators, the two worked tirelessly to pursue the story and keep women informed. Kingston's Chris Cooper co-stars.

'The Collaboration' heading to theaters later this year

A movie about the complicated friendship between Andy Warhol (Paul Bettany, “Avengers”) and fellow artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeremy Pope, “The Inspection”) filmed on the sound stages at Marina Studios in Quincy last fall. Daniel Brühl ("Rush") plays Bruno Bischofberger, the Swiss art dealer who first suggested a series of collaborations between Basquiat and Warhol. The film wrapped Oct. 28 after also shooting in Canton, Lynn, Medford and Boston. A release date is to be announced, though Bettany has reportedly said the film will hit theaters in late summer.

Paramount+ delays release of 'Finestkind'

Production of the crime thriller “Finestkind,” which stars Tommy Lee Jones, Jenna Ortega, Ben Foster and Toby Wallace, took over a home on Edward Foster Road near Peggotty Beach in Scituate last May to shoot scenes. Set amid the New Bedford fishing industry, “Finestkind'' follows two estranged brothers (Foster and Wallace) who get tangled up with an organized crime syndicate in Boston while a young woman (Ortega) is caught in the crossfire. Along the way, sacrifices are made and the bonds between brothers, friends and a father (Jones) are tested.

“Finestkind'' was filmed mostly in New Bedford. Scenes were also shot in Brockton, Dedham, Fairhaven and Stoughton. The movie was written and directed by Brian Helgeland, who was born in Providence and grew up in New Bedford. Helgeland won an Oscar for penning 1997’s crime noir “LA Confidential'' and wrote the screenplay for the Boston-set “Mystic River.” He also wrote and directed the Jackie Robinson biopic "42" with Chadwick Boseman and "Legend" with Tom Hardy.  “Finestkind" was expected to debut on Paramount+ late last year, but was pushed back due to production delays. A new release date has yet to be announced.

December release of Paul Giamatti's 'The Holdovers'

Oscar winner Paul Giamatti reunites with his “Sideways” director Alexander Payne for “The Holdovers,” the Massachusetts-shot film that is already generating awards season buzz for next year. Focus Features picked up the film for $30 million and will release it in December. In the movie, which was shot in about a dozen locales, including Milton, Giamatti plays a disliked teacher at an elite boarding school who's forced to mind the "holdover" students who have nowhere to go during Christmas break. Left behind are a grief-stricken cook played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Only Murders in the Building”) and a rebellious teen played by newcomer Dominic Sessa, who was a senior at Deerfield Academy. Shooting locations include: Boston, Buckland, Cambridge, Clinton, Deerfield, Fairhaven, Gill, Gloucester, Groton, Medfield, New Bedford, Saugus, Shelburne Falls, Somerville, Southboro, Wakefield, Waltham and Worcester.

Liam Neeson returns to Massachusetts for 'Thug'

The Liam Neeson crime drama “Thug” is the second movie on this list to come out of Marina Studios in Quincy.  The “Taken” actor plays an aging gangster attempting to reconnect with his children. Scenes were shot in Allston, the North End, Winthrop and on campus at Northeastern University. Ron Perlman (“Don’t Look Up”), Yolonda Ross (“The Chi”) and Daniel Diemer (“The Midnight Club”) co-star. Milton’s Tom Kemp is also listed in a supporting role. Hans Petter Moland ("Cold Pursuit") directs from a script written by Tony Gayton, creator of "Hell on Wheels." “Thug” is Neeson’s second Massachusetts-shot crime thriller. In 2018, he filmed “Honest Thief” in Worcester. That movie can be viewed on Prime Video.

Scituate was shooting location for 'Untitled Novelist Project'

Actor Jeffrey Wright filmed scenes for “Untitled Novelist Project” last September on Turner Road near Sand Hills Beach in Scituate. Wright stars as a struggling novelist finding sudden success after writing a satirical novel that exposes the hypocrisies of the publishing world. Wright co-starred opposite Daniel Craig in the James Bond movies, playing reliable CIA agent Felix Leiter. Last year, he was a standout in “The Batman” as Commissioner Gordon.  “Untitled Novelist Project” is based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett. It marks the feature-film debut for writer-director Cord Jefferson, an Emmy winner for penning the limited series “Watchmen.” Jefferson also wrote episodes for the NBC sitcom “The Good Place,” the hit HBO series “Succession” and the Netflix comedy “Master of None.” A release date has not been announced.

Canton's Bill Burr is a turtle in 'Leo'

Canton native and die-hard Red Sox fan Bill Burr lends his voice to a turtle in the coming-of-age animated musical comedy “Leo,” which will debut on Netflix on Nov. 22.  Burr teams up with Adam Sandler, who voices the titular reptile, a lizard who has been stuck in a terrarium in the same Florida school for decades. When he learns he only has one year left to live, Leo plots to escape with his turtle pal, but ends up involved in the lives of his anxious students and their mean substitute teacher. Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”), Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”), Heidi Gardner (“Saturday Night Live”) and Sandler regulars Nick Swardson (“Grown Ups”), Nicholas Turturro (“The Longest Yard”) and Rob Schneider (“The Animal”) co-star.

Burr, 54, is a 1987 graduate of Canton High School. He made history last summer when he became the first standup comedian to perform at Fenway Park. In addition to doing standup and the popular "Monday Morning Podcast," Burr has appeared in the hit television shows “Breaking Bad,” “The Mandalorian,” “New Girl” and “Reservation Dogs.” His film credits include “Stand Up Guys,” “Date Night,” “The Front Runner” and “The Heat.” He earned critical acclaim for his turn as a New York firefighter in Pete Davidson’s “King of Staten Island.” Burr hosted "Saturday Night Live" in 2020.  All five seasons of his animated adult comedy “F Is for Family” are streaming on Netflix. Burr voices the main character. The show is based on his upbringing in Canton in the 1970s.

Other made-in-Massachusetts movies to be released in 2023

“Maestro,” starring Bradley Cooper as legendary conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, who was born in Lawrence, will be released on Netflix later this year. Filming took place at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. ... “Challengers,” the tennis rom-com starring Zendaya and directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me by Your Name”), filmed in Boston and will be released Aug. 11. It also stars Mike Faist (“West Side Story”) and Josh O’Connor (“The Crown.”)

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'We Have a Ghost,' 'Leo' and more movies with South Shore ties