John C. Reilly Will Replace Michael Shannon as Jerry Buss in HBO's Series About The L.A. Lakers
HBO has recast one of the lead roles in their upcoming series about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers. John C. Reilly has replaced Michael Shannon in the role of Jerry Buss. According to Deadline, Shannon left the project over creative differences.
Buss was majority owner of the Lakers during the team’s 1980s era that will be chronicled in the Untitled Showtime Lakers Project. I was excited to see Shannon take on this role, but Reilly is a solid actor and I’ve enjoyed his work, so he’ll be a fine replacement.
The project is based on Jeff Pearlman’s nonfiction book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. It follows “the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that won five NBA titles and defined its era, both on and off the court.”
Reilly’s Jerry Buss is “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 dynasty, but his house of cards threatens to collapse on him — and the people he loves most.”
The series is being written by Max Borenstein, and it will be produced by Adam McKay who is directing the pilot episode. Reilly joins previously announced Jason Clarke, who portrays Jerry West.
What do you all think about Reilly replacing Michael Shannon in the series?