So I was invited to the set of Stano as they were filing Friday in Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
The story of Sonny Stano is a story of redemption as he was able to turn adversity into something more through his baseball talents.
It’s produced by William Chartoff, who you may have heard of as he produced other sports stories of redemption such Rocky Balboa 10 years ago and then the follow-up Creed back in 2015. And that continued his father Robert’s legacy, who produced the fist five Rocky movies.
Lynn Headee (Enders Game) also produces along with Joe and Nick Manganiello with Joe staring as Sonny Stano. George Steinbrenner’s grandson Robert Molloy is an associate producer.
NY Sports Day’s Ray Negron also has a producer’s role.
Sofia Vergara stars opposite Joe Manganiello and Raymond De Felitta (City Island) directs.
The film follows a man who returns to the Bronx after serving 17 years in prison for a violent mistake he made as a kid that ultimately robbed him of a professional baseball career and the love of his life.
On the set on Friday, they shot the murder scene when the main character Stano accidentally kills someone in a fight. It was rather interesting to see how the production took place and since this is an independent film, certain corners were cut, such as not closing the streets fully, which cost a lot more from the Mayor’s office.
But the crew makes do with the $5 million budget. Chartoff said the script was draw for him and Nick Manganiello along with Joe were the driving forces.
The film will be shooting all over the city the next month with locations throughout the Bronx, Rockland and Brooklyn and even some scenes at MCU Park (Brooklyn Cyclones) and (Richmond County Ballpark Staten Island Yankees.)
The produces hope the film will be ready to be submitted to Sundance Film Festival, where they can nail down a domestic distribution deal with hopes they film to be released sometime next year.
It’s a New York story, being filmed in New York and it looks like this will be a keeper.
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