NBA star Patrick Patterson, producer Joel Reilly launch North American prodco

NBA star Patrick Patterson and producer Joel Reilly have teamed up to launch a production company with operations in both the US and Canada.

Patrick Patterson

Undisputed Pictures is currently developing, financing and producing a slate of film, television, media and entertainment projects spanning multiple genres and focusing on socially relevant stories.

Patterson and Reilly most recently executive produced the Carly Stone-directed drama North of Normal, starring Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace) and Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting). Shot in Canada, the film is currently in post-production.

At present, Undisputed Pictures has one TV show and four films and in development, including Dock, a biopic about Major League Baseball pitcher Dock Ellis.

An outspoken player for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1970s, Ellis was a fierce advocate for black players’ rights, who also famously claimed to have pitched a no-hitter while on LSD. The film focuses on mental health, drug addiction and Dock’s journey to overcome his demons.

The biopic is currently in development with Undisputed and Hacksaw Ridge producer David Permut, with rapper and actor Ice Cube (Friday) among the executive producers.

Joel Reilly

It will be produced in conjunction with Permut and Dreamscape Entertainment’s Jasper Graham (Retaliation).  Jeff Kwatinetz (11:14) exec produces and Alex Astrachan of Permut Presentations serves as a coproducer, while Joey Poach (The Polka King) penned the script.

According to Undisputed, Patterson is known in the NBA as the “go-to movie guy,” having worked with the Toronto International Film Festival while playing for the Toronto Raptors as well as hosting his own monthly early screening events for fans.

Reilly, meanwhile, has more than 20 years of production experience in both film and advertising, and was the co-founder of Community 54, a lifestyle brand with experiential retail spaces in both Toronto and New York.

Undisputed Pictures was formed out of a mutual love of film and desire to champion new narratives from diverse storytellers, while it is also built on a commercial model that seeks to capitalise on production efficiencies between Canada and the US, Patterson and Reilly said.

Reilly said: “We really wanted to create a positive and inclusive collaborative environment. It’s time to grant new opportunities to aspiring talent and break new ground with some of the top talent around the world.”

Patterson added: “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.”