Batman Actress Part of Movie Filming In Creve Coeur

Production is set to begin this month on a film inspired in part by the true story of an Ellisville couple's efforts to adopt children. But My Partner's Mother won't be shot on some Hollywood soundstage. It will happen at familiar spots in West St. Louis County, and at All On The Same Page Bookstore in Creve Coeur.

The film is the brainchild of Joe Elvis, who along with his partner Bart Baker, moved to Ellisville three years ago, attracted to the area by Rockwood Schools. Elvis said he wrote the film with Dixie Carter, of Designing Women fame, in mind for the title role of Emma Carter, an "opinionated, feisty mother-in-law." Dixie Carter died in 2010.

Hollywood veteran Lee Meriwether, who played Catwoman in the Batman TV series, is now attached to the role. The project also was to involve Olympic diver Greg Louganis, but he left the production to take an active role in the issues surrounding gay rights and the upcoming Winter Olympics in Russia.

According to the movie's Kickstarter profile, scenes will be shot at The Wolf Public House in Ballwin, Castlewood State Park and a home in Ellisville, among other sites in the St. Louis area.

Despite the elimination of tax credits which have lured other film projects, like George Clooney's Up In The Air to the area, Elvis said he's focused on keeping his production company based here, where his family lives.

"We have so much talent here, from Writers, producer, actors, cinematographers and so on, they want to work, they want to make films and so do we. That is the reason, we are doing the film here instead of flying back to LA and produce the film," Elvis said in an email to Patch.

The film, which does not have a distributor tied to it, could be ready for a DVD or theater release in January.