Development News - September 12, 2019
FX's The Old Man; HBO's Untitled Los Angeles Lakers Project and HBO Max's Delilah.
HBO's UNTITLED LOS ANGELES LAKERS PROJECT
- Newcomers Quincy Isaiah and Solomon Hughes have been cast as some NBA legends in the drama pilot chronicling the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.
- Isaiah will play Magic Johnson, who is as gifted in the game as he is magnetic in his life. His fast-paced, captivating style of play revolutionizes the sport of basketball even as his style of celebrity transforms the social fabric of the culture.
- Hughes will play Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His intelligence, talent and political activism have made him a living legend, but his introverted nature leads him to be misunderstood by not only the public but his own teammates. He is deeply sensitive after a lifetime of betrayals, but the arrival of rookie Magic Johnson sparks his gradual journey to open up to those around him - a quest that re-inspires his love of the game.
HBO MAX's DELILAH
- Michael McKean will play the male lead on the comedy pilot starring Jessica Rothe. He is currently Emmy nominated for his role on AMC's Better Call Saul. He also recently appeared in the Amazon limited series Good Omens.
- He will play Tom Childs Sr., a successful and charming car dealership owner grieving the recent death of his wife, who gave him three children, a happy home and a comfortable life. He now has to deal with a funeral, his bickering grown children, and the arrival of Delilah (Rothe), a young woman who claims to be his daughter.
FX's THE OLD MAN
- John Lithgow will co-star on the drama pilot starring Jeff Bridges. He is a six-time Emmy winner for his work on NBC's Amazing Stories, NBC's 3rd Rock from the Sun, Showtime's Dexter and Netflix's The Crown. He is also a two-time Tony winner for The Changing Room and Sweet Smell of Success. He next stars in HBO's upcoming limited series Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys and Tatiana Maslany.
- He will play Harold Harper. Intelligent and tough with deep reservoirs of compassion and ruthlessness, he is called back to service by the FBI after suffering a terrible personal loss. He has a complicated past with rogue fugitive Dan Chase (Bridges), which makes him uniquely suited for hunting him down.
- Moreover, Jon Watts has signed on to direct the pilot. He directed and co-wrote Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home.
