Fresh off his co-starring role in Judd Apatow’s newest romantic comedy Trainwreck, two-time NBA champion LeBron James is, again, scratching his Hollywood itch. Yesterday, reports surfaced that the superstar NBA athlete and global basketball icon had just signed off on a major content creation deal between his production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros. The deal includes plans for projects in TV, film, and original digital programming.
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“To be able to partner with Warner Bros. will allow me to do some things I’ve always dreamed of,†James told the Wall Street Journal
. “And I’ve always loved movies, which makes Warner Bros. the ultimate partner to help us continue to push the envelope. I can’t wait to see what we come up with†James added.James’ long-time business partner and friend Maverick Carter, with whom he started SpringHill Entertainment in 2008, according to an ESPN report, added “This is not about making a movie or a couple of TV shows. We want to build a company.â€
SpringHill Entertainment is already developing creative content across a wide variety of platforms, including digital, documentary and feature films, and scripted and unscripted TV. Their current resume includes projects like Disney XD’s inspirational series Becoming, the Starz’ breakout scripted comedy Survivor’s Remorse, and Uninterrupted — the multimedia platform for unfiltered athlete content hosted on Turner digital platform, Bleacher Report — and an upcoming primetime game show for NBC.
In a statement announcing the partnership, Warner Bros. CEO and
Chairman Kevin Tsujihara praised the union, saying “LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him and his partner, Maverick Carter, and SpringHill Entertainment. The combination of LeBron’s global media presence and Warner Bros.’ unmatched production and distribution expertise is a big win for fans everywhere.â€Adding to his legacy and joining the ranks of other iconic NBA players turned business moguls, like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, James is looking to make an impact on the big screen. Rumors have circulated since last month that James could be the star of a forthcoming Space Jam sequel or reboot, after news spread of Warner Bros. renewing the Space Jam patent information.
USA Today contributor and Capital New York reporter, Alex Weprin, noted the timing in a Twitter posting –
Warner Bros. filed new trademarks for “Space Jam” last month. Today announced deal with LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/WaZ33sXCsY
– Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) July 22, 2015