ADRIEN BRODY will play legendary basketball coach Pat Riley in HBO’s upcoming drama series about the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s.

The untitled series was ordered at HBO in December 2019. It is described as chronicling the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties, in what came to be called the Showtime Era.

Riley led the Lakers to four NBA championships and unprecedented superstardom. His iconic style, confidence, and fast-break offense defined 1980s basketball and influenced pop culture at large.

Brody won the Academy Award for best actor for his starring role in “The Pianist.” He will be seen in Wes Anderson’s new film, “The French Dispatch,” Netflix’s “Blonde,” and the TV series “Chapelwaite” for Epix. He recently co-wrote, scored, produced and starred in the action film “Clean.” He is currently filming an untitled murder mystery for Searchlight alongside Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell. His other feature credits include “Predators,” “King Kong,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Midnight in Paris.”

The show is based on Jeff Pearlman’s nonfiction book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.” Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht co-wrote the story and will executive-produce. Adam McKay will direct the pilot and executive-produce through Hyperobject Industries.(SD-Agencies)