NFL Stars Ricky Williams, Cris Carter, Marcedes Lewis & Calvin Johnson In Talks To Join Football-Noir Thriller ‘Red Crown’

EXCLUSIVE: Former NFL stars Ricky Williams, Cris Carter, Marcedes Lewis and Calvin Johnson are in talks to join football-themed thriller Red Crown (working title).

Heralding from Black Forge Productions, the feature is being written and directed by Diamond Batiste, and being made in association with StoryBridge Entertainment and Chaparral Films. Starring are Don Benjamin and Shawn Meaike. Production is scheduled to begin this fall.

Pic is “set inside a secret underground football empire operating beneath Los Angeles”.

Braxten Smith co-writing the script. It marks the second feature for Black Forge Productions after Batiste, Benjamin and Meaike launched with the goal of developing a slate of commercially driven independent films.

The film is produced by Louis Tocchet, Eleanor Nett and Don Benjamin, with Shawn Meaike executive-producing. Tocchet and Nett produce under their banner Chaparral Films.

“This project is deeply personal to me for a multitude of reasons,” said Batiste. “The biggest is that it’s about second chances, the hunger to be seen and what people are willing to risk when the world has counted them out. I’m incredibly excited to bring audiences a bold, stylish and unapologetically entertaining film that combines the intensity of football with a world they’ve never experienced before.”

“This is a project I’m really passionate about because it brings together sports, action and a story about brotherhood, sacrifice and second chances,” added Benjamin. “We’re building something that feels raw, exciting and authentic, and I’m grateful to be part of bringing this world to life.”