The Hick From Salt Lick is set to meet the man Unafraid To Make Eighth Grade, as Deadline notes that actor and director Bo Burnham has signed on to play a major role in the upcoming ’80s Lakers drama in the works at HBO, where he’ll be portraying famed Celtic (and Lakers rival) Larry Bird.
The project, based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, And The Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty Of The 1980s, is being produced by Adam McKay, with Max Borenstein set as the writer. As one of Magic Johnson’s most famed opponents, Burnham’s Bird will presumably clash repeatedly with Quincy Isaiah, who’s playing Johnson in the series. Burnham is fresh off an impressive run at the moment; Eighth Grade, his directorial debut, is still fondly remembered, and he’s being held up as one of the more queasily fascinating parts of Emerald Fennell’s Oscar-nominated Promising Young Woman.
Burnham isn’t the only big name being attached to the as-yet-untitled series today, either; Deadline also reports that Jason Segel has signed on for the show, where he’ll play Lakers assistant coach Paul Westhead, who gave up his life as a professor of Shakespeare to become part of the team’s coaching roster. Segel and Burnham join a cast that also includes Michael Chiklis, Sally Field, Adrien Brody, John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Solomon Hughes, and many more, taking on the roles of various NBA luminaries of the day.
No word as of yet on when the series can be expected to land at HBO.