Before LeBron James was a four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, he was the most-touted high school basketball star of all time.
His new movie ‘Shooting Stars’ chronicles his rise to become one of the greatest players in basketball history, playing alongside his childhood best friends in St. Vincent-St. Maria High School. The close-knit group of friends became the No. 1 team in the country, winning three straight state championships before James was drafted No. 1 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
“Even if his job turns out to be the most incredible basketball player in basketball history, [when you have] that group of friends, all of that doesn’t matter,” said director Chris Robinson.
“It’s just joy when you’re connected. And I think that’s his superpower. You know, his basketball IQ is off the charts. But I think his superpower is that this group of friends, this community, this town, are still connected.”
Emmy nominee Chris Robinson directed the film, with Academy Award nominees Terence Winter, Rachel Winter and Spencer Beighley serving as producers, along with James and his childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter.
Here’s everything you need to know about the movie.
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What is Shooting Stars about?
Based on a book by James and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger, ‘Shooting Stars’ tells the story of LeBron James and his childhood friends Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, Sian Cotton and Romeo Travis, who have moved from Akron Public School. to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, to make sure everyone could play together and continue their journey from their recreational league team, Shooting Stars.
The film not only focuses on their success on the court, but also on the difficulties they overcame together.
The official synopsis reads as follows:
Shooting Stars is set in the 1990s, where a young LeBron James (Cook) and his three best friends, Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin, Stranger Things), Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills, Jr., Swagger) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage, Cobra Kai), declare themselves the ‘Fab Four,’ after the famous Michigan Wolverines ‘Fab Five’ of that era. From the moment we meet them, we realize that this group of friends, under the guidance of coach Dru Joyce (Wood Harris; Creed franchise), are connected by more than just basketball.
So when the coach of the best basketball school in their district threatens to break them up by putting Lil Dru on the junior varsity team, the Fab Four decide to switch schools so they can play together, joining the team at a predominantly white Catholic school. . The community takes it as an insult, but the dedication of the boys to each other is more important than anything else.
With their new coach (Dermot Mulroney; August: Osage County) a disgraced former college coach seeking his own redemption, the boys, along with former rival and new teammate Romeo Travis (newcomer Sterling ‘Scoot’ Henderson), they will face battles not only on the court but in real life, in their quest to become national champions, and they will rediscover that the most important thing in the game is the people who play next to you.
shooting stars release date
- Date: June 2, 2023
- How to watch: Peacock
The film will be officially released on June 2, 2023.
Shooting Stars will not be released theatrically and will be released exclusively on Peacock.
Who is in Shooting Stars? Main cast, characters
Headlined by Mookie Cook, who plays James in his acting debut, the film features several big names, including Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin, Wood Harris and NBA Draft prospect Scoot Henderson.
| Actor actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Mookie Cook | Lebron James |
| Caleb McLaughlin | Dru Joyce II |
| wooden harris | Dr. Joyce II |
| scot henderson | romeo travis |
| Khalil Everage | sian cotton |
| avery willia | willie mcgee |
| jett howard | Carmelo Anthony |
| algee smith | illya mcgee |
| dermot mulroney | keith dambrot |
| natalia pablo | glory james |
| katlyn nichol | savannah james |
shooting stars trailer
Shooting Stars will launch on Peacock on June 2, 2023.
