The Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving is the latest NBA superstar to head to the big screen. According to Variety, Temple Hill Entertainment has acquired the rights to and is planning on a feature-length film involving Irving’s Uncle Drew character, where he famously dresses up as an older, gray-haired man and clowns on a bunch of pick-up basketball players.
We’re getting a Kyrie Irving ‘Uncle Drew’ movie, whether we want it or not
Kyrie will keep dominating random pickup games in old man’s makeup. Sure!
Of course, that short — a Pepsi Max commercial — was popular four years ago, nor do I remember anyone saying, “You know what this needs to be? 85 minutes longer.”
But hey, I’m still a sucker for that Uncle Drew commercial. I’ll probably watch it anyway.
Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and John Fischer will produce the film, described as a love letter to basketball. The original Pepsi Max advertisements showed Irving, in full make-up, playing a 70-plus-year-old man, Drew, who would show up to pick-up basketball games and school kids half his age, while also reminiscing about how the game used to be played.
Fischer was a big fan of the online shorts and showed them to Bowen thinking they could possibly turn it into a movie. But it was Longino’s pitch that really got them excited about pursuing the rights for a feature film.
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Described as “Blues Brothers” in the pick-up basketball world, Longino’s pitch shows Drew and his old squad on the legendary Rucker Park basketball court in Harlem. Years later Drew is talked into returning to the courts to compete in a tournament and goes on a road trip to round the old squad up to play.
Variety also reports that the producers are hoping for a number of cameos from NBA stars throughout the film.
It might be a stretch to say I have high hopes, but hey, this is marginally exciting news. Let’s just pray Kevin Love doesn’t make an appearance as the kid version of himself in that State Farm commercial.
