John C. Reilly has joined the HBO pilot about the 1980s Showtime Lakers in a recasting.
Reilly will play the role of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, replacing Michael Shannon. Shannon exited the project over creative differences. The character is described as
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.
If the HBO project go to series, it would mark one of few TV projects Reilly has starred in throughout his career as he is known mostly for his big screen work.
Jason Clarke is the only other currently announced cast member for the untitled pilot, playing Jerry West.
The pilot is based on Jeff Pearlman’s non-fiction book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”