Warner Bros. Pictures has reportedly landed a Kobe Bryant movie, one going by the title “With the 8th Pick” according to The Insneider (via WOR).
Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen penned the spec script, which is currently in development and has drawn comparisons to the Ben Affleck-directed “Air” – namely, how it was able to turn a sports deal into a drama with stakes.
The story unfolds in the two weeks leading up to the 1996 NBA Draft and is told from the perspective of New Jersey Nets’ General Manager John Nash.
Nash and incoming coach John Calipari were eager to land then teen phenom Bryant, but the team was financially strapped, and Bryant was a devoted Lakers fan.
Added to that, Bryan’s Adidas sneaker deal would have been worth far more in Los Angeles than in New Jersey.
Unlike with “Air,” this film will reportedly see the late athlete actually feature onscreen along with his father Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant. It’s not clear how this will be achieved at present.
No cast has been announced, and no director is currently attached, with the film still in its early development days.
