2023 Oregon Commit Mookie Cook to Play Young LeBron James in Upcoming Biopic
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
© Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK
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.
Join the Community
Follow Dylan on Twitter: @drksportsnews
Subscribe to our free newsletter to get the latest Oregon Ducks news sent to your inbox