Dwayne Johnson Comedy ‘Ballers’ Lands Series Order at HBO

The football comedy marks “The Rock’s” first small-screen series regular role.

HBO has picked up to seriesBallers, the half-hour dramedy starring the Pain & Gain alum,The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Ballers examines the lives of a group of former and current football players.

The comedy hails fromStephen Levinson(Entourage), who penned the script and executive produces alongside Mark Wahlberg, Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Evan Reilly and Peter Berg, the latter of whom will direct the pilot. Dany Garcia is on board as a co-EP. HBO is producing the series with Wahlberg’s Closest to the Hole Productions, Levinson’s Leverage Entertainment and White Buffalo Entertainment.

Ballers continues the premium cable network’s relationship with Levinson and Wahlberg, whose credits also include HBO vehicles Boardwalk Empire,How to Make It in America and In Treatment.

Johnson is no stranger to the sports world, having played college football before kicking off his World Wrestling Federation career and becoming one of the sport’s best and most renowned personalities.

The series marks Johnson’s latest small-screen effort and first series regular role. His credits also include hosting TNT’s reality competition series The Hero.

For Berg, the Johnson starrer will bring the number of HBO pilots he’s attached to direct to two, joining Damon Lindelof‘s adaptation of The Leftovers.

The cast includes Omar Benson Miller, John David Washington, Rob Corddry, Troy Garity, Donovan Carter, Jazmyn Simon, Taylor Cole and LeToya Luckett.

The Ballers good news comes two days after HBO picked up fellow comedy pilot The Brink, starring Tim Robbins and Jack Black, to series and weeks after the premium cabler opted to cancel comedies Family Tree and Hello Ladies after one season each. (Hello Ladies will wrap up with a comedy special.)

The pickup gives the network a comedy with instant cache and comes as the premium cabler has been focusing on niche fare, as it has struggled to find a broad comedy hitcomparable to dramas True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones and, more recently, True Detective.

Ballers and The Brink joins a roster of original comedies that includes Girls, Veep andLooking, with Mike Judge‘s Silicon Valley also due in April. The network has the six-episode Emily Mortimer entry Doll & Em due in March and is in talks for a second season of Getting On.

This leaves HBO with no remaining comedy pilot in the works after it opted to cancel family comedy People in New Jersey, starring Sarah Silverman.

Ballers marks the third series HBO has picked up this week, joining David Fincher’s adaptation of Utopia.

An episode count and premiere date for Ballers has not yet been determined.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit

Credit: hollywoodreporter.com

#DwayneJohnson enjoys a tender kiss with his co-star #AnabelleAcosta on set of new TV show in #Miami

He’s known for being a huge action hero.

But this time Dwayne Johnson was enjoying a different kind of action.

The 42-year-old was spotted kissing his sexy co-star Anabelle Acosta on the set of their new TV series Ballers in Miami on Tuesday.

Action film: Dwayne Johnson and co-star Anabelle Acosta get ready to kiss on the set of their HBO series Ballers in Miami on Tuesday

What The Rock is cooking: The 42-year-old locked lips with his sexy Cuban-American co-star

While shooting the romantic moment, The Rock was conservatively dressed with a purple sweater over a button-down shirt and jeans.

With his trademark shaved smooth head, the former WWE superstar’s bulging muscles were visible through his preppy outfit.

Anabelle wore a leather jacket, flowing white scoop neck top and a pair of skin tight grey jeans.

In the scene for their new HBO pilot, the couple can be seen walking together before stopping at an ATM machine.

The Fast & Furious 6 star gently places his hand on the Cuban born actress’ head before leaning in to kiss her on the lips.

They share the tender peck before pulling away and walking off.

Role play: The HBO show deals with retired and active professional athletes living in Miami

Sports star: The Rock played American football while at the University of Miami in the ’90s

According to Deadline, Ballers will chronicle the lives of athletes – some retired, some still active – living in Miami.

Johnson will play a man by the name of Spencer, an all-pro running back.

Lone Survivor director Peter Berg is helming the pilot, which The Rock is executive producing with Pain & Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg.

Born in Cuba but raised in New York, sexy brunette Anabelle is relatively new to Hollywood.

She’s appeared in a few independent films and made appearances on several TV shows.

Ballers could be the big break that launches the gorgeous Latina to fame.

Although the public display of affection with his co-star may just be for the role, Dwayne has remained single since his divorce from his wife in 2007.

But the former college sweethearts remain on good terms.

Belle of the ball: The Cuban-American actress has appeared in a few independent filns

Box office king: Forbes recently named Dwayne the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood with $1.3 billion in ticket sales

‘Since our divorce, we’ve become pretty good at working together, and we are also raising our beautiful 11-year-old daughter, Simone,’ he recently told Essence.

‘You know, you don’t sign up for a divorce when you get married, it’s very painful. But it’s taught me a great deal about myself.’

He may not be single for long, as Forbes recently named the WWE champion the top grossing actor in Hollywood with $1.3billion in ticket sales for 2013.

The Rock inched his way past Robert Downey Jr, who came in second place on the Forbes list, with a flurry of action-packed movies, including Fast And Furious 6 and G.I. Joe Retaliation.

Dwayne will next star in Brett Ratner’s Hercules: The Thracian Wars, which hits theaters July 25th.
Read more: dailymail.co.uk
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Letoya Luckett & Dwayne Johnson – #HBOBallers

Check out the new photos of Dwayne & Letoya Luckett on the set of HBO’s Ballers. 🙂

Letoya Luckett and Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock” make a perfect couple! Unfortunately, the two of them were just shooting scenes together on the set of the forthcoming HBO series, “BALLER$.”

As you can imagine, Letoya had an amazing time shooting with the gorgeous WWE-turned-action movie star. Letoya shared, “On set with this guy @therock today!! #L❤vewhatido”

The Rock tried to keep up his tough exterior, but Letoya wasn’t buying it one bit. The “Single Ladies” newcomer shared, “He thank he tough! I bet I could take’m!!”

I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see these two together. Hopefully, they had great chemistry on the set and decided to grab dinner. *crosses fingers*

Photos: Instagram

Credit: icecreamconvos.com

THE ROCK working on the set of ‘BALLERS’

The tough & buff Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is at his movie-making hustle again!

More photos are found here…Dwayne Johnson HBO Ballers

Surrounded by a trio of bodyguards, the former wrestler turned actor was snapped on the set of his new television,Ballers out in Miami, Florida (January 7). It turns out that this was his first day shooting the HBO pilot for the show (on which he also serves as executive producer).

Ballers is said to “chronicle the lives of athletes, some retired, and some active, living in Miami” and may have cameos made by other Miami sport stars like Lebron James. The Rock will also be starring alongside fellow Pain and Gain co-star, Mark Wahlberg.

Credit: concreteloop.com

DWAYNE JOHNSON HBO SERIES ‘BALLERS’ ADDS ‘HOT TUB TIME MACHINE’ STAR ROB CORDDRY

Universal / Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images

Dwayne Johnson‘s movie stock remains consistently on the rise, but should the ‘Fast & Furious‘ actor decide to make forthcoming HBO pilot ‘Ballers’ a permanent home, he’ll at least be in good company. ‘Hot Tub Time Manchine 2‘ star Rob Corddry has officially signed on to the new Mark Wahlberg-produced sports dramedy, but will it be a permanent position?

While previously only portions of the premise had been revealed, Deadline today breaks that the half-hour dramedy pilot will follow the lives of several Miami-based active and retired athletes. Upcoming ‘Community‘premiere guest Corddry will play former all-pro running back Spencer’s (Johnson) boss, a financial advisor who “tries really hard to fit in and who is confident but clueless at interpreting social cues.” The gig will work around Corddry’s involvement with Adult Swim’s ‘Childrens Hospital,’ as well.

Not only will ‘Entourage’ producers Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson helm the new series, with Levinson on writing duties, but acclaimed director Peter Berg will direct the pilot episode, shooting in the near future. Evan Reilly will act as showrunner, while Johnson himself, Berg and Johnson’s manager Dany Garcia will also executive produce.

We’re certainly going to follow ‘Ballers’ with piqued curiosity, but what say you? Do Dwayne Johnson and Rob Corddry sound like a promising match for HBO dramedy?

screencrush.com

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Kick South Floridians’ Asses in New TV Show

Swampdog

Between Pain and Gain, his new HBO project on Miami athletes, and now, a TNT series casting in South Florida, Dwayne Johnson can’t seem to stay away from the 305. Thank you, universe.

 

So what do we know about this new show? The Rock will be helping regular folks in need of a strong, strapping, handsomely-bronzed hand up. Any problem qualifies, according to the casting call, from strained relationships to bad neighborhoods to weight gain. Apparently, the Rock is a superhero and a fairy godfather all in one.

See also: HBO’s Untitled Miami Athletes Project Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: New Details

Specifically, the call for submissions asks for “every day Americans in life situations who are ready for a change of fate and a stroke of luck.”

So basically, everyone in Miami?

See also: HBO Taps Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mark Wahlberg for a Miami Version of Entourage

And while the folks at TNT couldn’t reveal much, they did point us in the direction of this article, which outlines that the series has been picked up for at least eight episodes.

 

The show is tentatively called The Wake Up Call, and is apparently a successor of sorts to his recently concluded series, The Hero. (Am I the only one who now has a mental picture of the Rock waking up next to me? Thanks again, universe.)

 

The article reads:

In Wake Up Call, The Rock will tackle the worst of the worst and make them into the best of the best with his own personal brand of high-octane motivation. From dysfunctional homes and dead-beat dads to sports teams that don’t gel and businesses struggling to survive, The Rock is going to descend into the chaos of everyday problems to pull good people up by the bootstraps, reminding them what hard work, passion and true discipline can accomplish.With 4 a.m. wake-up calls, emotional reunions and near-impossible goals, everyone who comes in contact with The Rock’s electric sense of personal motivation will grow from it, finding inner strength and heart.

 

Is it just us, or does it sound like Dwayne is moving into the motivational speaker genre? Needless to say, I’d take his direction.

Oh, and if you wanna submit yourself or someone you know, send your name, age, city, contact info, photo and life situation to floridacasting1@gmail.com.

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The Hero Trailer with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

All I can say is WOW! This show will keep you at the edge of your seat. 🙂

 

Dwayne Johnson Lands Role on HBO Dramedy Pilot

Pain and Gain stars Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg will star in a new HBO dramedy pilot. The untiled show will follow retired athletes living in Miami and is scheduled to begin shooting this fall. The project comes from Entourage‘s Stephen Levinson and will be produced by Johnson, Wahlberg, Dany Garcia and Peter Berg. There’s no word on when the show will begin airing if it’s picked up.

essence.com