The upcoming HBO drama from Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up) about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers officially has a new title. The series was initially titled Showtime, in reference to the Lakers’ “showtime era” where they won five championships, but now is set to be called Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
The announcement of the title change came in the form of a tweet from the series’ official Twitter account. The account tweeted a short teaser video advertising the brand new name, as well as when the show can be expected to be released, it will be streaming in March.
The show is based on the Jeff Pearlman book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s,” the show is said to dramatize both the professional and personal lives of the team. The official logline of the series is “one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined its era, both on and off the court.”
Jason Clarke will star as Jerry West, the longtime Lakers general manager, John C. Reilly will play former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Quincy Isaiah will play Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Solomon Hughes will play Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Rounding out the show’s cast are Michael Chiklis, Sean Patrick Small, Sally Field, Hadley Robinson, Spencer Garrett, Delante Desouza, Olli Haaskivi, and Kirk Bovill.
McKay will serve as director and executive producer on the show, with Max Borenstein as the writer. Jim Hecht, Jason Shuman, and Kevin Messick from McKay’s production company also serve as executive producers alongside Scott Stephens and co-EP Rodney Barnes.
An exact release date has yet to be announced for the series but it is expected to premiere in March 2022. Check out the full tweet below: