'Shooting Stars': Peacock Releases First Look of LeBron James Biopic
The new movie about LeBron James and his childhood friends will be available to stream soon. Peacock recently revealed the trailer for the film Shooting Stars. The 30-second spot premiered during the 46th Annual McDonald's All American Games, and the film will premiere on Peacock on June 2.
Shooting Stars is based on the book written by James and Buzz Bissinger who is known for writing the critically acclaimed Friday Night Lights. The film is "set in the 1990s, where a young LeBron James (Marquis Cook) and his three best friends — Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin, Stranger Things), Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills, Jr., Swagger) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage, Cobra Kai)—declare themselves the 'Fab Four,' after the famed Michigan Wolverines' 'Fab Five' of that era. From the moment we meet them, we realize this group of friends, under the guidance of coach Dru Joyce (Wood Harris; Creed franchise), is connected by more than basketball," the official synopsis states."
Shooting Stars also includes Dermot Mulroney who plays a disgraced former college coach who is seeking redemption. The movie is directed by Chris Robinson and produced by Rachel Winter, Spencer Beighley, James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson and Terence Winter with Gretel Twombly as an executive producer.
Cook is making his film debut and is one of the best high school basketball players in the country. In August, Cook revealed he will play college basketball at the University of Oregon and will begin his college career later this year. When speaking to The Athletic in August, Robinson talked about what stood out with Cook when he brought him in to read lines before they began filming.
"He was so charismatic," Robinson said. "And never having really acted before, he just kind of took to the script." Robinson also talked about making sure the scenes look as authentic as possible. "I would tell the guys, 'Yo, this is a movie about LeBron James. So Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is gonna watch this. And Ja Morant's gonna watch this, and everybody in between whoever played basketball at the YMCA or is in the NBA are going to watch this and scrutinize this and they're going to watch your play,'" Robinson said.