Ducks Digest

2023 Oregon Commit Mookie Cook to Play Young LeBron James in Upcoming Biopic

The film is titled Shooting Stars and is based on James' 2009 autobiography based on his childhood years and high school career.

Dylan Reubenking

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Marquis "Mookie" Cook will get his debut on the big screen before he suits up as an Oregon Duck.

The 5-star verbal commit is set to play a young LeBron James in a biopic titled Shooting Stars, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The film is an adaptation of James' 2009 autobiography of the same name that was co-written by Buzz Bissinger.

The story is based on James' upbringing in Akron, Ohio, as well as his storied high school basketball career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. It also tells the story of the "Fab Five" at St. Vincent-St. Mary of James, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, and Romeo Travis.

In 2020, NBCUniversal and Universal Pictures announced a four-year first-look production deal with James and Maverick Carter's SpringHill Company, with Shooting Stars the first production from the deal. The film, which began shooting in mid-April, will bypass theaters and premiere exclusively on Peacock in 2023, NBCUniversal announced last week.

Shooting Stars will be directed by Chris Robinson, who directed Black-ish and its spin-offs. James will produce the movie along with Carter, Terence Winter, and Rachel Winter.

Cook is one of the top basketball players in the country, ranked as the No. 5 player in the 2023 class by 247 Sports. Standing at 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, Cook committed to Oregon on March 31 over Gonzaga and Kentucky, among others.

2023 Oregon Commit Mookie Cook

mookie-cook
© Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cook attempts a jumpshot over a defender.

The Oregon commit attends Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz., but spent his first two years of high school at Jefferson High School in his hometown of Portland, Ore. 

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Dylan Reubenking
DYLAN REUBENKING

Dylan Reubenking is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. He was a sports reporter for Duck TV Sports and a broadcaster for KWVA Sports 88.1 FM. He has dabbled in news and sports reporting, copyediting, graphic design, video production, podcasting, layout design, and more. Dylan is also the co-founder and publisher of The Transfer Portal CFB, a multimedia college football platform that launched in August 2021.

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