Kyrie Irving has set out to convey to audiences why NBA players dread staying at Skirvin Hotel.
The Boston Celtics point guard will produce and star in a movie that centers on the notorious Oklahoma City hotel, Imagine Entertainment announced Monday. The project, which doesn’t yet have a title, will be Irving’s second feature film, following his 2018 big-screen debut in “Uncle Drew.”
NBA players have reported experiencing paranormal activity when staying at Skirvin Hotel, and Irving will help tell the story by mixing horror and satire.
“There are different ways to tell a story,” Imagine Entertainment co-chairman Bobby Cohen told ESPN’s Jackie McMullan. “You could do a comedy version of this like ‘Ghostbusters.’ But what interested me more is what I refer to as the roller coaster horror movies, like ‘Poltergeist,’ where it’s scary but it is also rich with wit and satire. So, we won’t be doing a straight-up comedy, but it won’t be hard-core horror like ‘The Conjuring.'”
“The other thing we hope to capture is the fulfillment and the minutiae of what it’s like to be a professional basketball player. … I always think it’s cool if you can start a movie in one direction, then take a left turn. We’re envisioning Kyrie on a plane with his team, these big-time athletes on their way to a big game, but then all of a sudden, it’s ‘Oh my God, there’s something wrong with this hotel.'”
Irving is excited to hone his acting chops again.
“This is an opportunity to be part of a movie where I can challenge myself in a different way,” he said, per McMullan.
Most of the filming will take place this summer, and the film is expected to be released sometime in 2020.
