LOS ANGELES, Sept 12 — HBO’s drama about the Los Angeles Lakers is changing its cast. After Michael Shannon’s departure from the project, John C. Reilly will be playing businessman Jerry Buss, owner of the professional basketball team, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Shannon, twice Oscar-nominated for Revolutionary Road and Nocturnal Animals, decided to leave the project due to “creative differences”. The main character in the pilot ordered by HBO will now be played by Reilly (Carnage, Aviator, The Thin Red Line). He’ll take over the role of Jerry Buss, who financed the Los Angeles Lakers for many years. Under his direction, the team won two NBA finals thanks in part to players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol.
Written by Max Borenstein, the series is inspired by Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. Viewers will see the professional and personal lives of the 1980 Lakers players unfold. The franchise marked the history of the sport with its success.
Reilly joins Jason Clarke, who will play Jerry West, the team’s manager at that time.
The pilot will be directed by Adam McKay (The Other Guys, Vice). — AFP-Relaxnews
