Boston Boogeyman: Kyrie Irving to star in haunted hotel horror film
NBA superstar Kyrie Irving is set to star in and executive produce a horror film about a notoriously haunted hotel in Oklahoma, and we should all be excited.
Boston Celtics Guard Kyrie Irving is no stranger to the spotlight. An NBA champion who came up clutch against the virtually unbeatable Golden State Warriors and helped lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever title in 2016, Irving has been a mainstay in the media since jumping ship to the Celtics in 2017 to prove that he can lead a team on his own.
Irving has consistently been one of the NBA’s most riveting players since he was taken with the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, but his moves off the court are thrilling in equal measure. He’s become synonymous with the character of Uncle Drew — an elderly man that possesses elite basketball skills and frequently uses them to embarrass much younger players — who Irving stars as in Pepsi Max advertisements that began airing in 2012.
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The character was such a smash among basketball fans and the general public that it earned Kyrie a starring role in last year’s surprise hit Uncle Drew, a sports comedy that also featured several former NBA and WNBA players. Few people expected Uncle Drew to actually be a quality film, but largely due to the acting chops of Kyrie Irving, it proved to not only be a financial success, but one of the most enjoyable sports comedies of the decade.
Though Irving’s ultimate focus is leading the Boston Celtics to the playoffs and boosting the young team to the NBA Finals after being sidelined with an injury throughout 2018’s playoff run, the six-time All-Star is keeping his film ambitions alive with a new horror film. Per Variety, Irving will star in and executive produce the currently untitled film about an Oklahoma hotel with a reputation for being haunted. The horror movie is also being produced by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Bobby Cohen.
The film’s hotel will be based on the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City, which is frequented by travelling NBA players — many of who have gathered supernatural experiences while staying there. Some players even refuse to stay in the hotel because of the scary stories they’ve heard.
"“Having had my own interesting experiences at the Skirvin Hotel, I connected with this idea immediately,” Irving commented. “To work with Brian Grazer is a dream come true, and I’m excited to bring this project to life with the Imagine Entertainment team.”"
Irving’s interest in the horror film comes only months after the announcement that NBA legend and horror aficionado LeBron James is interested in remaking Friday the 13th. If NBA stars making horror movies is the new Hollywood trend, we’ll consider that a slam dunk.
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Fan of Boston Celtic’s Kyrie Irving? Want to see the NBA star bring his talents to horror? Let the other bloody basketballers know what you think in the comment.