U, Imagine quietly slow play on 'Ballers' (VAR)
By Nancy Tartaglione
As free agent LeBron James mulls his next moves, one thing has become certain, says Variety, the basketball superstar won't land on a movie set anytime soon. Universal and Imagine, which had hoped to get their James vehicle "Ballers" off the ground next month, have quietly put it on hold until next summer.
The film was eyeing an August shoot in Miami with Malcolm Lee directing, but the project was shelved due to a number of hiccups. The screenplay, written by Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz with a rewrite by Peter Steinfeld, needed work and couldn't hit James' small window, according to several Variety sources.
Meanwhile, at least six teams are courting the CAA-repped James with Madison Avenue salivating over the possibility of him landing in one of the three biggest media markets.
Universal is still high on "Ballers" and will look to A-listers to surround the sports icon for a July 2011 shoot, says Variety.
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