Adam McKay‘s upcoming HBO series on the Los Angeles Lakers finally has an official title after initially causing some confusion. Focusing on the 1980s era Lakers, the series was going to be called Showtime, which is the title of the book that McKay was adapting. However, that title created some understandable head-scratching considering the series will be airing on HBO and not its competitor, which also happens to be named Showtime.
So, in an effort to prevent people from going cross-eyed, McKay’s Laker series will now be called Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. Oh, and it’ll premiere in March. Via The Wrap:
Based on the Jeff Pearlman book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s,” the show will dramatize the professional and personal lives of the team, described in the series logline as “one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined its era, both on and off the court.”
The series will star John C. Reilly as Lakers owner Jerry Buss, which is a casting decision that’s been getting a considerable amount of attention as of late. In a recent interview, McKay revealed that Will Ferrell was originally attached to the role before McKay made the call to cast Reilly, without first consulting Ferrell. That decision led to McKay and Ferrell not only ending their creative partnership in 2019, but also their friendship. The two haven’t spoken to each other since, but McKay told The Hollywood Reporter this week that, one day, they’ll be able to “kick back” at a Lakers game and “get back to our old kind of rhythm.”
(Via The Wrap)