Docs On NFL Hall Of Famer Mel Blount & MLB’s Tommy John Lead Winter State Entertainment’s Forthcoming Slate

Matt Grobar
·5 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Winter State Entertainment on Tuesday announced two feature docs on NFL Hall of Famer Mel Blount and MLB icon Tommy John that will lead its forthcoming slate, having wrapped principal photography on each right before the launch of the WGA strike.

The first film, Mel Blount: Whatever It Takes, on longtime Pittsburgh Steeler Blount, will offer a deep dive into his life journey, from his arduous beginning in a segregated Vidalia, Georgia to getting drafted in the 3rd round by the struggling Steelers, to the next 14 years, where he won four championships and cemented himself as the best at his position as cornerback. Upon retirement, Blount shifted his focus towards kids who were stuck in the system, opening two youth homes to give them a chance to turn their lives around, even when the community and KKK pushed back against him. Now, 40 years later, Blount has afforded this opportunity to hundreds.

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Directing the pic is Solomon Shields, who’s the son of another NFL Hall of Famer, Kansas Chief Chiefs offensive guard Will Shields. Interview subjects will include Steelers legends and NFL Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Joe Greene, among others.

Said the younger Shields in a statement to Deadline, “Having been around football since before I can remember, it’s surreal to be directing a documentary on someone who not only changed the NFL, but how the game is played. To learn about Mel as a person and how he went from picking cotton in the fields of the South to being a key part of the first Steelers Dynasty has been an honor.

“Despite his success, he was still targeted by the KKK for giving children a second chance at life,” the filmmaker continued. “Mel knew that whatever it takes, he would stay true to his mission. He truly inspires me and I hope his story resonates with others in the same way.”

Added Blount himself of the project on his life, “I’m excited about my documentary, it will give you the opportunity to see what it was like growing up in Georgia during segregation and going to a all black college, being coached by a white man and playing with white players for the first time in 1970 to becoming a NFL Hall of Famer to dealing with the KKK after retiring from football to start a boys ranch! I hope it will inspire everyone to see challenges as opportunities!”

Next up on Winter State’s slate is Tommy John: The Bionic Man, which will follow the ball player from his humble beginnings in Terre Haute, Indiana to his life-changing, baseball-defining ligament replacement surgery, to his inspiring comeback competing in the World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and later, the New York Yankees. The film also explores the impact of the Tommy John surgery in the sports world today. Nick Hagen is directing the pic featuring interviews with teammates and friends of John, such as MLB legends Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Dusty Baker and Steve Garvey.

“For how well his name is known, very few know the story of the man behind the surgery,” said Hagen. “Tommy John’s story is not an easy one to hear. To be a premier pitcher in the league and lose your ability to play, I can only imagine the physical and mental toll he dealt with. Yet, that never stopped him. Tommy’s story is a parable of believing in yourself and not letting anyone take your dream away from you.”

“I am extremely humble and proud to have Winter State Entertainment tell my story and I look forward to continuing working with Nick and Hamid, these two amazing and talented men,” added John. “I am very excited to share my life and 26 years as a Major League Baseball player. I was honored to have played with and against some of the most talented men in the history of baseball. I hope you enjoy my journey as much as I loved it. For all my days, I always carried my dad’s advice; Remember Who You Are And Where You Come From.”

Shields and Hagen will each produce their respective docs alongside Camille and Hamid Torabpour, William and Angela Roaf and Winter State Entertainment. Post-production is underway on both, the goal being to secure a sale to a streamer within the next year. In addition to these docs, Winter State has upcoming stories spanning civil rights, social justice issues and more, with further sports stories in football, baseball, basketball and hockey also on the way.

Said Winter State Entertainment’s Camille and Hamid Torabpour with reference to the projects on Blount and John, “As we explore the legacy of these notable figures, we really like to focus on the robust lives that are often boiled into a single accomplishment or one chapter of their lives. We love telling compelling and inspirational stories that give our audience a closer look into what makes each person unique and the struggles that were and continually are needed to be overcome to accomplish greatness.”

Continued the producers, “I think this is what makes documentary storytelling so magical – it’s an opportunity to understand and to apply the tenacity we learn from others into our own lives. It’s an opportunity to hear often untold or unknown facets of the lives of incredible men and women.”

The Torabpours are a Minnesota-based husband & wife film producing team who have been steadily growing their Winter State Entertainment banner toward becoming a significant production hub throughout the Midwest. They pivoted to documentaries when Covid hit and have been busy since growing their slate, while getting back into narrative features. The pair have previously backed titles like the Vans Warped Tour film Summertime Dropouts, starring Nicholas Podany and Josh Richards, and the football drama Under the Stadium Lights, with Laurence Fishburne and Milo Gibson. Also coming up for the company is the documentary ROAF on the life of Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Roaf, as well as the doc Kitty to Cooperstown on MLB great Jim “Kitty” Kaat.

The Torabpours are represented by Karen Gottlieb at Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks.

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