HBO drama about a young Tyson

HBO is about to give a pilot order to a drama series from Doug Ellin, John Ridley and Spike Lee that is loosely inspired by Mike Tyson's early years in boxing.

Project, dubbed "Da Brick," was penned by Ridley, who will serve as showrunner. Lee is onboard to direct the pilot and exec produce, along with Ellin, the steward of HBO's "Entourage," as well as Tyson and Ellin's producing partner, Jim Lefkowitz. Tyson's wife, Lakiha Tyson, will co-exec produce along with Azim Spicer.

The connection with Tyson came about after the boxer did a guest shot last season on "Entourage."

"He said to me, 'Why don't you do with my life what you did with Mark (Wahlberg's) life" with "Entourage," Ellin told Variety.

The series will not be a straight bio vehicle but will follow the rise of a young boxer in present-day Newark, N.J. ("Da Brick" refers to Newark being known as "the brickyard city.

HBO has a casting director searching for a thesp with some boxing chops.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118038934

Showtime should counter, and pick up Lights Out.....Wishful thinking heh

It could be good if they cast the right actor and capture the right tone.

Nice

gomez1012 wrote:Nice

And it'll atleast get a second season. I'm done getting invested in regular TV and cable shows. All the ones I like get cancelled. Terriors, Lights Out, Chicago Code, ect.

It's a joke. A great show like Lights Out loses out to shit like Teen Mom, and CupCake Wars

GrantZilla wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:Nice

And it'll atleast get a second season. I'm done getting invested in regular TV and cable shows. All the ones I like get cancelled. Terriors, Lights Out, Chicago Code, ect.

It's a joke. A great show like Lights Out loses out to shit like Teen Mom, and CupCake Wars

Don't forget "Pregnant In Heels"

It would be amazing if the protagonist was basically crazy. Can't think of any show that's done that. Tyson was an eccentric prodigy.

Gumby wrote:It would be amazing if the protagonist was basically crazy. Can't think of any show that's done that. Tyson was an eccentric prodigy.

That's very hard to pull off. Having a straight up crazy character as the main character can either grow tiresome, or turn audiences off. You need a straight man as a main character where crazy people revolve around.

Even in the case of Dexter, he's crazy, but hides it under a mild mannered guy.

Monk was crazy. You can do crazy. My problem with Lights out was the main character was white and not black. When was the last time we had a significant white American heavyweight champ? Its like making mob movie without Italians.The show wasn't believable. Irish gangster in Newark? Brother as the accountant? The best part of the show was the Armenian fighter who got ko'd. The show was a nice idea bit I think a show based on a contemporary champion like Mike Tyson makes more sense. It's easier to draw ideas directly from his experience then from a fictional story. Plus Tyson was crazy bit articulate and could function the majority of time in society, he is a very interesting figure, totally compassionate one minute and a savage beast when he wanted to be. I think its a great Idea.

hardcorebee24 wrote:Monk was crazy. You can do crazy. My problem with Lights out was the main character was white and not black. When was the last time we had a significant white American heavyweight champ? Its like making mob movie without Italians.The show wasn't believable. Irish gangster in Newark? Brother as the accountant?

Monk was eccentric, not bat shit pyschotic.

And your problem with Lights Out was him being white? Having him be a black American HW is just as much out of date if you want to go all realistic. Lights should've been a East Euro. But who the fuck wants to watch that on a US network?

GrantZilla wrote:

hardcorebee24 wrote:Monk was crazy. You can do crazy. My problem with Lights out was the main character was white and not black. When was the last time we had a significant white American heavyweight champ? Its like making mob movie without Italians.The show wasn't believable. Irish gangster in Newark? Brother as the accountant?

Monk was eccentric, not bat shit pyschotic.

And your problem with Lights Out was him being white? Having him be a black American HW is just as much out of date if you want to go all realistic. Lights should've been a East Euro. But who the fuck wants to watch that on a US network?

Tyson's not bat shit psychotic either, Tony Soprano murdered a guy with a ligature on a college visit with his daughter and people loved it, to me that's more bat shit psychotic than anything Tyson has ever done. By the way it is not JUST AS MUCH OUT OF DATE. Tyson was a world beater less than 25 years ago and prior to the Eastern European invasion black Americans dominated the division. Marciano was the last Great White dominant heavyweight and he retired 55 years ago. The show lights out was about a retired fighter who's prime was roughly five to ten years prior to where the show picks up, it would have been more believable had he been black or European, and more to your point why was his rival black then? If they aren't significant in the division then the rival should have been Eastern European. I thought the show was a nice idea but had way too many holes and i thought the acting was subpar. Just my opinion.

I'm just saying, having a black American HW Champ is as out of date as a white one. Likely Lights Out was white because FX is probably watched in large part by whites. I'm sure if it was on BET, he'd been black.

GrantZilla wrote:I'm just saying, having a black American HW Champ is as out of date as a white one. Likely Lights Out was white because FX is probably watched in large part by whites. I'm sure if it was on BET, he'd been black.

It's not as out of date. Not at all. 30 years not as out of date. We still have more black American contenders than white ones. More people guaranteed would associate black people with boxing than a white Irish American guy. Do you have any idea how a show is developed? A treatment is sent to networks who then decide to go with a pilot script, then it is tested after a Network picks it up. The white Irish angle was cliche and chosen by the creator long before FX picked it up. The main character's name is Patrick Leary for christ sakes and he's from Bayonne. He was going to be white and Irish from the minute the pen hit the paper.

having story based on a kid from the streets, the story will be gritty. If they build strong and fully developed characters around the young fighter, along with a focus on the area in which he lives, you can have a gritty realistic drama. Most fighters come from a rough tumble background, and if they focus on making it realistic (but not over sensationalized), then it can be a damn good show.

hardcorebee24 wrote: Do you have any idea how a show is developed? A treatment is sent to networks who then decide to go with a pilot script, then it is tested after a Network picks it up. The white Irish angle was cliche and chosen by the creator long before FX picked it up. The main character's name is Patrick Leary for christ sakes and he's from Bayonne. He was going to be white and Irish from the minute the pen hit the paper.

I think the show was written exsclusively for Fox. No matter. I'm sure they went with a white boxer to appeal to a larger audience. Or as you said, the cliche Rocky route.

If it's an HBO show based off of Tyson's story I'll watch. All jokes aside, I've always thought he's a brilliant subject for a story. Season 1, kid on the street shows he can scrap and catches a trainer's eye. Season 2, kid on the street is removed from the street and struggles interacting with normal people (training begins). Season 3 kid becomes a monster, preps for the olympics. Season 4 the Olympics and a young heavyweight champ. Season 5 drugs, women, and being the champ. Season 6 rock bottom.

I just hope the boxing's real.