SOURCE: WKYC 3 Studios | Anna Meyers
March 29, 2023
AKRON, Ohio — Nearly a year after casting calls began across Northeast Ohio for a film on LeBron James’ young playing career, Peacock has released a trailer that gives fans an inside look at the upcoming film.
Shooting Stars is based on the 2009 autobiography by James and Buzz Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights.
The movie depicts the inspiring story of how James and his friends became the No. 1 team in the country during his high school basketball career in Akron at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School while setting him up for an illustrious NBA career.
“People think they know my story, but this is our story,” said James in the trailer. “This is how I met my brothers and how we became family.”
The full trailer for the movie can be watched below:
The teaser shows an image of the “Fab Five,” made up of James, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee and Romeo Travis, the teammates who won the 2003 state championship with James at St. Vincent-St. Mary.
James took to Twitter on Tuesday night to share the trailer, posting, “My BROTHERS 4L!!!.”
My BROTHERS 4L!!! ♾️ https://t.co/Bi0IkO7XnZ
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 28, 2023
EDITOR’S NOTE: The video at the top of the story previously aired on 3News on April 18, 2022.
The film features a cast made up of Wood Harris, Mookie Cook, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalie Paul, Algee Smith and Dermot Mulroney.
Cook, a 5-star forward from Portland, who is committed to playing basketball at Oregon, plays the role of the high-school-aged James in the movie.
Many parts of the film were shot across Northeast Ohio over the past year.
“A lot of it we want to stay very true to LeBron’s story. So filming in that area and using Akron locals is so great for us because it’s real. And that’s what we want is truth and to tell real stories,” said Angela Boehm, the owner and founder of Angela Boehm Casting to 3News previously.
Shooting Stars will be released on Friday, June 2, and can be watched on Peacock.