Bo Burnham exits HBO's Los Angeles Lakers series
Bo Burnham has exited the upcoming HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team.
The comedian was announced to be joining the cast to play Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird earlier this year, but has now exited the limited series, citing scheduling conflicts.
Burnham received critical acclaim earlier this year for his Netflix comedy special, Inside, which explores mental health and isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. The filmmaker created the project entirely on his own, from writing to lighting design, and it earned him six nominations across categories for this year's Emmys ceremony.
The series, which is currently untitled, is based on Jeff Pearlman's 2014 non-fiction book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. It follows the rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics, culminating in a heated NCAA championship game, according to Variety.
HBO has so far announced a massive star-studded cast for the dramatisation, including John C. Reilly, Gillian Jacobs, Sally Field, and Adrian Brody. While the pilot has already been shot, Burnham will be replaced with relative newcomer Sean Patrick Small.
