A Kobe Bryant biopic is in the works at Warner Bros
A biopic about NBA legend Kobe Bryant titled “With The 8th Pick” is in development at Warner Bros. Pictures, focusing on his dramatic 1996 NBA draft day.
The studio acquired a spec script by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen, and the film is being produced by the team behind King Richard.
It is described as having a tone similar to The Social Network, Air, and Moneyball, with a thriller element.
The spec script was written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen. Sources describe the project as having elements of films such as “Moneyball”, “Air”, and “The Social Network”. It’s reported to be told from the perspective of John Nash, the general manager of the New Jersey Nets, who held the 8th pick in that draft and reportedly wanted to select Bryant.
However, Bryant was ultimately drafted by the Lakers with the 13th pick.
Other insiders familiar with the script described the film as “Moneyball” meets “Air,” Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s recent feature detailing Nike’s courtship of a rookie-year Michael Jordan.
Warner Bros. had no comment when asked about the project.
Sohn and Johannsen are repped by Verve Talent and Literary Agency. The former is managed by Lit Entertainment Group and the latter by Gotham Group.
Note: Kobe Bryant died on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41.
He and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s decision to continue flying into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) under visual flight rules (VFR), leading to spatial disorientation and loss of control.
