Decker

You know you're casting team is on fire when they even cast the kid from Airplane! perfectly.


Can't believe how much that Quincy Isaiah looks like young Magic.
I didn't read the book and don't really know anything about who Claire Rothman is, but I'm sure Gabby Hoffman will make the character interesting.

Will this be a limited series or will it continue past one season? Looks like it covers a lot of ground in its first year.

DJariya

I don’t know anything about the book. But the Showtime era basically covers 1979 to 1988. That’s a lot to cover. We don’t know the episode order for this either.

Decker

If you're telling this story you continue until at least 1991 because that's the natural end of the Magic story.

dex14

Per McKay: "There are 10 in the first season, and then we’re hoping to do a second season and maybe a third season."

Boondock Saint

As a Celtics fan, that looks pretty good. I'll check it out.

DJariya

Looks like Winning Time didn’t get Magic Johnson’s blessing. He claims he won’t watch.

Decker

Magic Johnson isn’t the only one with hurt feelings. This project resulted in the break up of the Adam McKay - Will Ferell relationship.

Adam McKay Details Will Ferrell Break Up Over HBO’s Lakers Series Casting: “He Took It As A Way Deeper Hurt Than I Ever Imagined”

The Big Short creator Adam McKay has detailed the breakup of both his Gary Sanchez Productions business and decades-long friendship with Will Ferrell.

In an in-depth Vanity Fair interview, McKay set out how his decision to cast Ferrell’s best friend John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss in HBO’s Untitled L.A. Lakers Project about the 1980s L.A. Lakers was the culmination of years of creative differences and led to a split that has yet to be repaired.

“Ferrell took it as a way deeper hurt than I ever imagined and I tried to reach out to him, and I reminded him of some slights that were thrown my way that were never apologized for,” said McKay. “The whole time it was like I was saying it out loud, ‘Let’s not become an episode of Behind the Music. Don’t let it happen.’ And it happened.”The problems started a decade before the Lakers Project saga, however, fairly soon after the pair launched Succession producer Gary Sanchez Productions in 2006.

After producing Broadway show You’re Welcome America in 2009, ructions started to develop around McKay’s desire to produce more and more projects without Ferrell, who was keener on making comedy, according to McKay.

“The whole time we were doing Gary Sanchez I was saying, ‘I don’t care what happens so long as this company doesn’t fuck with our friendship’,” he added.

McKay also revealed he sacked manager Jimmy Miller in 2015 for continually pushing him to work with Ferrell, around the time he was creating 2018 Dick Cheney biopic Vice.

He was then brought on board the edit of Ferrell comedy Holmes & Watson to attempt to redress what he described as a “rough shape” and also quit the pair’s web start-up Funny Or Die after it took sponsorship from Shell Oil.

Then came the decision to close down Gary Sanchez and, soon after, the Buss casting bust up.

McKay’s new banner Hyperobject Industries took on the HBO miniseries and it was at this point that McKay made the decision to cast Reilly for the series whilst not informing Ferrell. Michael Shannon was set to play Buss in the pilot, but Reilly took over the role in a September 2019 recasting.

“The truth is, the way the show was always going to be done, it’s hyperrealistic, and Ferrell just doesn’t look like Jerry Buss and he’s not that vibe of a Jerry Buss,” added McKay.



“I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I wanted to be respectful. I should have called him and I didn’t.

McKay said Ferrell “took it as a way deeper hurt than I ever imagined” and the last time they talked was a “curt” phone conversation.

“I said, ‘Well, I mean, we’re splitting up the company’. And he basically was like, ‘Yeah, we are,’ and basically was like, ‘Have a good life.’ And I’m like, ‘Fuck, Ferrell’s never going to talk to me again.’ So it ended not well.”

McKay has since sent several emails to Ferrell but received no reply.

“I fucked up on how I handled that [the casting]. It’s the old thing of keep your side of the street clean. I should have just done everything by the book.”

Gunde

Will Ferrell sounds like a big baby.

Runaway

At least in McKays words. He shouldn't talk about their problems in the media, even if Will Ferrell is a big baby.

dex14

Scroll through.

DJariya

Spencer Garrett actually followed me on Twitter when I chimed in on a Winning Time thread. I'm looking forward to seeing how he pulls off playing Chick.

The actress they cast to play Jeanie Buss is definitely not as hot as her. I do like the actors who they cast to play Magic, Bird, Norm Nixon and Kareem. Hopefully the newcomers who are playing Bird and Magic can actually act.

DJariya

Full trailer

Decker

Oh my god, that was AMAZING!

Deftones

Hate the Lakers but I will probably watch this.

Throwing Copper

Been waiting for this for a while. Looks so good.

Decker

Oh Hell Yeah!

Throwing Copper

Finally out this Sunday. Been waiting for a while. Even though it takes place in the 80s, has a 70s vibe to it, .

DJariya

This premieres tonight. Again, it's a 10 episode season. I'm really stoked for it. I don't think there's enough interest in this forum to do weekly threads. Plus, this is not the kind of series that has "spoilers" and stuff that warrants weekly threads, so this thread should be good enough.

I follow Spencer Garrett, who plays Chick Hearn, on Twitter and he said he doesn't appear until next week.

I saw an online rumor that they may develop season 2 to cover the Kobe and Shaq era. But, it was just a rumor.

DJariya

1st episode was awesome. John C. Reilly was hilarious as Jerry Buss. I loved how it was shot and even having a grainy late 70s video tape look. Quincy Isaiah is very charming and was surprisingly quite good as Magic.

at what a prick Jerry West, Jack Kent Cooke were. Even Norm Nixon was an asshole.

It was mostly set up with Buss and Magic, but I like how it's started. The season preview looks fun.

I was surprised they started things out in November 1991 when Magic retired. That was the worst day of my life as a Lakers and NBA fan. I assume the season is going all the way to that day then.

Neil M.

This was pretty enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of breaking the fourth wall but it works here pretty well. Reilly is fantastic too.

dom56

Jerry West gone psycho.

Decker

I absolutely loved that. So much fun. Reilly is so charming and brings so much energy to the role. What a fun series.
The constantly changing film stock was kind of distracting and headache-inducing, but I liked the talking to the camera element which also worked in The Big Short and Vice.
Weird that McKay can churn out a prestige movie I was so disappointed in and actually kinda loathed, and then come right back with maybe my favorite TV episode of the season.

Decker

I will be checking this out.

MrX

I enjoyed it.

Reilly is great as Buss.

Throwing Copper

Well, I could have binged about 5 episodes of that in one night if they were available. What a fantastic show.

So, this is the infamous fallout where McKay’s producing partner was supposed to play Jerry Buss, and McKay rightfully thought better of it and cast John C Reilly without telling him.

Im sorry, but Reilly is way better in the role than Will Ferrell ever could have dreamed of being.

can’t wait to have a weekly episode of this through mid May.