Adam McKay has cast Jason Clarke as Jerry West in HBO’s hour-long drama pilot Showtime, which examines the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. The show is based on Jeff Pearlman‘s non-fiction book of the same name, which chronicles the professional and personal lives of the Showtime-era Lakers; a team that defined that era of the NBA, both on and off the court.
In the show, West will be portrayed as the tortured genius of basketball who ought to be the perfect man to build the Lakers into a dynasty. However, he can’t get past his own worst enemy — himself. McKay will direct the pilot and executive produce alongside Kevin Messick under his new, as-yet-untitled production company.
McKay is a perfect fit for Showtime. Since moving away from studio comedies, he’s shown a knack for depicting real-life events in humorous yet informative ways. The Big Short was an Oscar contender and last year’s Vice, while a step down, still had flashes of greatness. Seeing what he can do with the 80s Lakers dynasty should be a treat.
Other key characters include coach Pat Riley and All-Star players such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There aren’t many 7-foot tall Hollywood actors, so it will be interesting to see who McKay casts in those roles. Casting is reportedly already under way, and the pilot is expected to shoot in September.
Clarke just worked with HBO on their upcoming Catherine The Great miniseries, which stars Helen Mirren. He also just wrapped Antonio Campos‘ Netflix thriller The Devil All The Time. He’s usually a supporting character in big films. He pops up in Zero Dark Thirty, First Man, and Mudbound. Seeing him in a lead role for once should be a lot of fun.
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