First trailer! John C. Reilly transforms into Jerry Buss for new Lakers series about Magic Johnson... after casting sparked THAT fall-out between Will Ferrell and creator Adam McKay
- Reilly, 56, stars as former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who died in 2013
- The series charts the Lakers at their peak in the 1980s when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson played
- Newcomer Quincy Isaiah stars as Johnson, while Solomon Hughes plays Abdul-Jabbar
- The HBO limited series is directed and produced by The Big Short filmmaker Adam McKay
- McKay recently opened up about his falling-out with his friend and business partner Will Ferrell
John C. Reilly looked completely transformed as he stepped into the shoes of former Los Angeles Lakers majority owner Jerry Buss in the first trailer for the new series Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty.
The 10-episode HBO limited series charts the rise of the Lakers team of the 1980s and the its superstars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.
The new trailer arrives on the heels of interviews with director and executive producer Adam McKay, who recently spoke about his falling out with his former business partner Will Ferrell.
What a difference! John C. Reilly looked completely transformed as he stepped into the shoes of former Los Angeles Lakers majority owner Jerry Buss in the first trailer for the new HBO series Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty
Reilly takes the spotlight from the star in the trailer raunchy opening, as he's shown in bed with a younger woman by his side.
'There's two things in this world that make me believe in God: It's sex and basketball,' he says dramatically.
But when his lover says she's sleepy, basketball seems to win out.
'Her loss,' he continues, addressing the camera directly. 'I'm about to buy a team.'
Superstar team: The HBO limited series charts the rise of the Lakers team of the 1980s and the its superstars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson; Reilly pictured with Quincy Isaiah as Johnson
Basketball obsessive: Reilly is seen in bed with a younger woman by his side. 'There's two things in this world that make me believe in God: It's sex and basketball,' he says
Missing out: But when his lover says she's sleepy, basketball seems to win out. 'Her loss,' he continues, addressing the camera directly. 'I'm about to buy a team.'
Buss' enormous wealth is emphasized with a follow-up shot of him stepping out of his mansion into his large driveway, which is littered with sports cars.
Although Reilly is older than Buss was at the time that he bought the lakers, he appears older than his 56 years thanks to his gray–blond combover and mustache, and he seems to accentuate his gut when he's standing.
'I want to build something special,' he says in voiceover. 'A real dynasty. But I need a partner.'
The action cuts to the 1979 NBA draft, where the Lakers select 'Earvin "Magic" Johnson,' who will become essential to establishing the team's legendary status.
Johnson, who's played by newcomer Quincy Isaiah, is shown shooting hoops alone on a darkened court, before there's a cut to him accepting his new jersey at the draft announcement.
Big spender: Buss' enormous wealth is emphasized with a follow-up shot of him stepping out of his mansion into his large driveway, which is littered with sports cars
First pick: 'I want to build something special,' he says in voiceover. 'A real dynasty. But I need a partner.' The action cuts to the 1979 NBA draft, where the Lakers select 'Earvin "Magic" Johnson,' who will become essential to establishing the team's legendary status
Practicing for greatness: Johnson, who's played by newcomer Quincy Isaiah, is shown shooting hoops alone on a darkened court
Match made in heaven: He looks overjoyed as he shows off his new jersey at a press conference
'With me, it's going to be exciting,' he tells the gathered journalists as the video cuts to him going in for a dunk.
Then there's a montage to illustrate the new high life Johnson leads as a Laker.
He winks out the window as he's driven through the desert in a speeding sports car, and Buss is seen ogling a group of women who appear to be trying out for the Laker Girls cheer squad, which he instituted shortly after taking over the team in 1979.
'I don't know why basketball can't feel like that,' Buss says to Johnson as the two take in a nightclub performance.
Watch that man: 'With me, it's going to be exciting,' he tells the gathered journalists as the video cuts to him going in for a dunk
Living it up: Then there's a montage to illustrate the new high life Johnson leads as a Laker. He winks out the window as he's driven through the desert in a speeding sports car
Sex appeal: Buss is seen ogling a group of women who appear to be trying out for the Laker Girls cheer squad, which he instituted shortly after taking over the team in 1979
Something new: 'I don't know why basketball can't feel like that,' Buss says to Johnson as the two take in a nightclub performance
'To me, Dr. Buss... it do,' the point guard replies.
In addition to Reilly, the trailer reveals Winning Time's incredible roster of star power.
Solomon Hughes gets little face time in the clip, but he's set to play Abdul-Jabbar, who will be incredible important to the team's success throughout the decade.
Jason Clarke is featured briefly as former Lakers player, coach and eventual general manager Jerry West, while DeVaughn Nixon plays his real-life father Norm Nixon, who played for the team through 1983.
Sally Field returns with her first acting role in two years to play Buss' mother Jessie Buss, trading out her usual dark locks for a blond wig.
More to come: Solomon Hughes gets little face time in the clip, but he's set to play Abdul-Jabbar, who will be incredible important to the team's success throughout the decade
Leadership: Jason Clarke is featured briefly as former Lakers player, coach and eventual general manager Jerry West
Family resemblance: DeVaughn Nixon plays his real-life father Norm Nixon, who played for the team through 1983
Acting legend: Sally Field returns with her first acting role in two years to play Buss' mother Jessie Buss, trading out her usual dark locks for a blond wig
The Utopia actress plays Buss' daughter Jeanie Buss with the aid of a fake nose, while Gaby Hoffmann sports graying hair and a suit to play Claire Rothman, the general manager of the Forum, which Buss also purchased.
Hot off his acclaimed role in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and a high-profile Succession guests spot, Adrien Brody adopts a mustache to play head coach Pat Riley, who led the team from 1981 to 1990.
How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segel sports a shaggy mullet to play head coach Paul Westhead, who was fired by Buss in 1981 and replaced by Riley.
She's only featured in her credit card in the trailer, but Tamera Tomakili plays Earlitha 'Cookie' Kelly, who is now better known as Cookie Johnson after marrying Magic.
Rob Morgan rounds out the principal cast as Magic's father Earvin Johnson Sr.
Winning Time is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.
Prosthetics: The Utopia actress plays Buss' daughter Jeanie Buss with the aid of a fake nose
Venue leader: Gaby Hoffmann sports graying hair and a suit to play Claire Rothman, the general manager of the Forum, which Buss also purchased
Head coach: Hot off his acclaimed role in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch and a high-profile Succession guests spot, Adrien Brody adopts a mustache to play head coach Pat Riley, who led the team from 1981 to 1990
Passed over: How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segel sports a shaggy mullet to play head coach Paul Westhead, who was fired by Buss in 1981 and replaced by Riley
Romantic interest: She's only featured in her credit card in the trailer, but Tamera Tomakili plays Earlitha 'Cookie' Kelly, who is now better known as Cookie Johnson after marrying Magic
Father figure: Rob Morgan rounds out the principal cast as Magic's father Earvin Johnson Sr.
Adam McKay, who developed Winning Time, executive produces it and directs at least the pilot episode, previously spoke about how his casting of John C. Reilly to play Jerry Buss caused a rift between him and his longtime friend and collaborator Will Ferrell.
In an interview with Vanity Fair from late November, the director admitted that casting Reilly, who is also a friend and regular costar of Ferrell's, led the two to end their producing partnership and caused the former SNL star to cut off communication between them.
'I f***ed up on how I handled that,' McKay said bluntly.
He ultimately opted for Reilly over Ferrell because he thought the Boogie Nights actor was a better fit to approximate Buss' look and mannerisms.
'The truth is, the way the show was always going to be done, it's hyperrealistic,' he explained. 'And Ferrell just doesn't look like Jerry Buss, and he's not that vibe of a Jerry Buss. And there were some people involved who were like, "We love Ferrell, he's a genius, but we can't see him doing it."'
McKay thought he might have made an already tense situation even worse by not calling his friend first to let him know he had been passed over for the Winning Time part.
However, he said that Reilly called Ferrel because 'he's a stand-up guy.'
Bad blood: Adam McKay, who developed Winning Time, executive produces it and directs the pilot episode, previously spoke about how his casting of John C. Reilly to play Jerry Buss caused a rift between him and his longtime friend and collaborator Will Ferrell, who wanted the role
Formerly close: 'I f***ed up on how I handled that,' McKay admitted. He said he didn't think Ferrell could play Buss because he 'just doesn't look like Jerry Buss, and he's not that vibe of a Jerry Buss'; Ferrell and McKay pictured in 2013 in NYC
'Maybe there was a little shadow in there where I wasn't able to confront a harsher, darker side of myself, that would ultimately err on the side of making the right casting choice over a lifelong friendship,' McKay mused.
The fallout from the cast decision led Ferrell and McKay to split dissolve their production company Gary Sanchez Productions.
Although it will continue to produce projects that were already in the works, Ferrell has created his own studio, Gloria Sanchez Productions, while McKay started his film and TV production company Hyperobject Industries.
At the time, they said in a statement: 'The two of us will always work together creatively and always be friends. And we recognize we are lucky as hell to end this venture as such.'
The friendship appears to currently be defunct, as McKay said Ferrell told him to 'Have a good life' after a short phone call agreeing to split up the production company.
'"And I'm like, "F***, Ferrell's never going to talk to me again." So it ended not well,' the Big Short director recalled.
No longer pals: Adam revealed that he didn't even call Will to tell him he lost out on the part, though John didn't because he's a 'stand-up guy.' Adam said Will later told him to 'have a nice life' at the end of a very abrupt phone call about their production company
In addition to introducing audiences to Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Winning Time also marks the first acting role for Solomon Hughes, who plays Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Hughes has a history with basketball, as he was previously the captain of the UC Berkeley team. He went on to play professionally for the USBL and ABA, as well as Mexico's professional league, and he also appeared as a Harlem Globetrotter.
His character's role in the classic 1980 comedy Airplane is briefly referenced with a blink-and-you'll-miss it image of him filming a scene in a cockpit.
McKay's next big project is the Netflix black comedy Don't Look Up, which features a similarly stacked cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill and many more.
HBO hasn't released an official premiere date for Winning Time, but the miniseries is expected to begin airing in March 2022.
Fresh faces: In addition to introducing audiences to Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Winning Time also marks the first acting role for Solomon Hughes, who plays Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Hughes' character's role in the classic 1980 comedy Airplane is briefly referenced with a blink-and-you'll-miss it image of him filming a scene in a cockpit
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