LeBron James up for comedy role in movie

If you thought LeBron James’ move to Los Angeles was all about basketball, think again. James has had his sights set on the move for years. He already owns two homes in the area, and he already has a production company in place called Springhill Entertainment. Today, word comes that the NBA’s biggest attraction may be looking to take on comedy. According to Variety, James is up for a role in a movie in conjunction with his Springhill Entertainment, writer Steve Mallory and Paramount. SpringHill and Mallory have been developing the film for several months. Mallory would pen the script. James would produce with his SpringHill partner Maverick Carter. Jamal Henderson and Spencer Beighley will oversee the project for SpringHill. Ali Bell and Gabby Canton are handling the project for Paramount Players. This would mark James’ second big-screen role; he previously played himself in the Judd Apatow comedy “Trainwreck.” The sale comes on the heels of James signing a four-year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers to — one of the biggest sporting deals in NBA history. Although James has been busy cementing himself as one of the best basketball players of all time, after just competing in his eighth straight NBA Final, he has also been engaged in the film and TV. His company recently sold the spec “Hustle” to Legendary Entertainment, with James producing with Roth/Kirschenbaum. That project allowed him to become a member of the Producers Guild. He is also a producer on the New Line remake of “House Party” as well an exec producer on the Netflix limited series “On Her Own Ground,” starring Octavia Spencer. Mallory is best know for his screenplays, working with Melissa McCarthy on the Universal comedy “The Boss” and her upcoming New Line comedy “Super Intelligence.”