Tommy Vlahopoulos sets Scores true-crime film in motion

Greek American producer Tommy Vlahopoulos is developing a feature based on the life of Scores co-founder Michael D. Blutrich, with pre-production expected to begin later this year in New York and New Jersey. The project ties a high-profile 1990s New York nightclub story to Vlahopoulos’ push to elevate Greek talent in Hollywood.

Why it matters: - The project turns a well-known New York true-crime story into a feature film with commercial and cultural appeal. - Tommy Vlahopoulos is using the project to create more room for Greek actors, filmmakers and creative talent in Hollywood. - The film also adds to a growing slate of Greek American-led productions under Tommy V Films.

What happened: - Tommy Vlahopoulos and Tommy V Films acquired the exclusive life rights to Scores co-founder Michael D. Blutrich. - The company is developing a feature film based on Blutrich’s memoir, Scores: How I Opened the Hottest Strip Club in New York City, Was Extorted Out of Millions by the Gambino Family, and Became One of the Most Successful F.B.I Informants in History. - The film is set between 1991 and 1998 and follows the rise of Scores, the Manhattan gentlemen’s club that became a major nightlife destination in the 1990s. - Pre-production is slated to begin later this year in New York and New Jersey.

The details: - Blutrich’s story follows an attorney-turned-entrepreneur whose business success led into organized crime and federal law enforcement. - Scores was heavily targeted by professional thieves in its early years but still became one of New York’s most talked-about nightlife spots. - Celebrity patrons included Howard Stern, Madonna, Russell Crowe, Michael Jordan, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Christina Aguilera, Jason Giambi and Demi Moore. - At its peak, the Scores franchise operated two Manhattan locations and licensed its name to clubs in five other cities. - Blutrich became implicated in an unrelated $400 million Florida insurance fraud case and began secretly cooperating with federal authorities in 1996 over alleged Gambino family extortion. - CBS’s 60 Minutes profiled Blutrich’s story in 2015 in Anderson Cooper’s report, “An Unlikely Informant.” - Vlahopoulos’ producing credits include the upcoming John Travolta film Ed and the Scott Eastwood action film The Outpost. - Christopher J. Scott, who is attached to Ed, will serve as lead producer. - Vlahopoulos will produce alongside John Bortolis, Jimmy Black and Theodore Otto.

Between the lines: - Vlahopoulos is tying the project to his own Greek American background, including family roots in Neo Psychiko in Athens and Litochoro in the municipality of Dion-Olympos. - The producer is positioning Scores as both a movie and a pipeline for Greek representation in an industry where he says Greek creatives remain underrepresented. - The story’s mix of celebrity culture, organized crime and FBI cooperation gives the film an established true-crime hook.

What’s next: - Tommy V Films is moving Scores through development now. - Casting, financing and production planning are expected to advance ahead of pre-production later this year. - Vlahopoulos says future projects under Tommy V Films will also focus on authentic Greek stories and talent.

The bottom line: - Scores is being developed as a high-profile true-crime feature, and Tommy Vlahopoulos is using the film to push for broader Greek visibility in Hollywood.