Pro NBA basketball player Patrick Patterson (pictured above) and producer Joel Reilly (pictured below) have teamed up to launch a new production company, Undisputed Pictures. With operations in both the US and Canada, the company is developing, financing and producing a slate of film, television, media and entertainment projects.
Undisputed Pictures formed out of a mutual love of film and desire to champion new narratives from diverse storytellers. “We really wanted to create a positive and inclusive collaborative environment. It’s time to grant new opportunities for aspiring talent and break new ground with some of the top talent around the world”, says Reilly. Focused on producing an original, diverse content slate that spans multiple genres and drives socially relevant stories that engage and entertain, Undisputed Pictures is built on a new commercial model that seeks to capitalize on production efficiencies between Canada and the U.S.
Patterson and Reilly most recently executive produced the Carly Stone-directed drama North of Normal starring Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace) and Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) in Canada. The film is currently in post-production.
The next feature in development under the new company banner is feature biopic, Dock which will be produced in conjunction with Academy Award nominated producer David Permut (Hacksaw Ridge, Face/Off, Youth In Revolt) and Dreamscape Entertainment’s Jasper Graham (Retaliation, Pontypool) with Ice Cube (Straight Outta Compton, Ride Along) and Jeff Kwatinetz (11:14, Unstoppable) serving as Executive Producers, and Alex Astrachan of Permut Presentations serving as a co-producer. Joey Poach (The Polka King) penned the script and producers are currently out to filmmakers, and actors who can tackle what will likely be a tour-de-force performance.
Dock tells the story of a Major League baseball pitcher, Dock Ellis, an outspoken player for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1970s, who led them to the World Series championship. Dock Ellis, was a fierce advocate for black players’ rights and who famously claimed to have pitched a no-hitter while on LSD. The core of this film deals with mental health, drug addiction, and Dock’s journey to overcome his demons.
Patterson is known in the NBA as the go-to movie guy, having worked with the Toronto International Film Festival while playing with the Toronto Raptors as well as hosting his own monthly early screening events for fans, “Pat Presents”. Reilly has more than 20 years of production experience in both film and advertising, and was the co-founder of Community 54, a global lifestyle brand with experiential retail spaces in both Toronto and New York.
“Joel and I are both passionate about movies and are creating high quality content that connects with people. While we’ve spoken throughout the years about this venture, we finally decided to go full speed ahead and develop Undisputed Pictures during the pandemic. With so much uncertainty in the world, now feels like the right time to make our dream a reality,” says Patterson.
Undisputed Pictures currently has four films and one television show in development. Their feature film, North of Normal is also in post-production.
David Permut is represented by John Tishbi at Pearlman & Tishbi, LLC.
