John C. Reilly has signed on to replace Michael Shannon as Lakers owner Jerry Buss in HBO’s drama pilot about the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers. The move reunites Reilly with frequent collaborator Adam McKay, and will see him star alongside Jason Clarke as Jerry West, the cantankerous basketball genius looking to turn the Lakers into a powerhouse.
The series will reportedly depict Buss as “a self-made millionaire whose success has only amplified his proclivity for risk. Buss redefines American sports, celebrity, and wealth by transforming the Lakers into a basketball dynasty, but his house of cards threatens to collapse on him — and the people he loves most”.
The show is based on Jeff Pearlman‘s non-fiction book Showtime, which chronicled the personal and professional lives of the Showtime Lakers — a team that defined its era, both on and off the court. McKay, who has shown a love for documenting true stories in the recent stage of his career, will direct the pilot and executive produce.
The pilot will be shot later this month. The show is currently untitled after previously being announced as Showtime. But seeing how Showtime is an American network, and a HBO rival, it made sense to scrap that one.
Reilly should be a great fit here. He previously worked with McKay on Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, and has always been a chameleon of sorts, able to morph between comedy and drama with ease. This series should have plenty of that, so he’ll be right at home.
It’s unclear what led to Shannon’s departure, but it does open up his schedule. It was previously reported that he’d have to turn down a role alongside Bradley Cooper in Guillermo Del Toro‘s Nightmare Alley because of scheduling, but now he’s free to secure that role if he wishes.
#Peace.Love.Lakers
