Basketball phenom Mookie Cook, Caleb McLaughlin, Algee Smith, Wood Harris & More Cast In LeBron James Movie
THR is reporting that Marquis “Mookie” Cook, a high-ranking high school basketball player, has been cast as NBA superstar LeBron James in Shooting Stars, Universal and SpringHill Co.’s adaptation of the 2009 book by James and Buzz Bissinger.
The cast also includes Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin, Scoot Henderson, Avery Wills, and Khalil Everage as James‘ teammates along with Wood Harris, Algee Smith, Natalie Paul, Katlyn Nichol, and Dermot Mulroney.
James and Bissinger’s Stars chronicled how James and his best friends in Akron formed a close-knit bond that sustained them through a failed national championship tournament and winning a title by the end of high school. Along the way there were plenty of tests, such as broken homes, jealousies and even James’ own mega-success.
At 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, Cook is a starting forward at Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona, part of the class of 2023. A 5-star recruit, he is already committed to the University of Oregon, rating as the No. 2 starting forward in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state of Arizona, according to college recruitment website 247Sports.
McLaughlin is playing Dru Joyce III, a best friend and the son of the boys’ coach, Dru Joyce II, who is played by Harris (Space Jam: A New Legacy, Creed II). Henderson will portray the dour Romeo Travis. Wills (Swagger) is Willie McGee, while Everage (Cobra Kai) takes on the role as group enforcer Sian Cotton.
Smith (Euphoria) is Illya McGee. Mulroney is Coach Keith Dambrot, Natalie Paul (The Blacklist) is playing James’ mother, Gloria, while Katlyn Nichol (Black-ish), is James wife, Savannah James.
Chris Robinson (ATL, Black-ish) is directing the project from a script by Frank E. Flowers, Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier.