Have you ever heard the saying that when you’re dancing with a bear, you’re not done until he bear is done? Last year, networks asked a bear named “documentaries about the careers and final seasons of legendary athletes” to dance. After the success of ESPN’s The Last Dance, plenty of other projects popped up and even though things have been quiet for a while, that bear has decided it isn’t done and wants to do a dance now called “Magic Johnson”.
Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw reports that a documentary about Laker legend Magic Johnson has ignited a bidding war amongst multiple suitors. Right now, NBC’s streaming service Peacock is considered the frontrunner to land the project. Shaw has heard that it is offering somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million to close the deal.
The report didn’t mention where other bids are coming from. Magic Johnson is a subject that transcends sports, so even though HBO Max and ESPN+ make the most sense, it is not outside the realm of possibility that non-rights holders like Apple and Netflix may be involved.
Bobby Burack of Outkick reports that Submarine, the production company working with Johnson, says the project will look at the NBA Hall of Famer’s influence both on the basketball court and in the world of business.
Magic Johnson is working with the production company behind acclaimed documentaries Boys State, American Factory and The Social Dilemma to bring the project to life. Rick Famuyiwa, who created FX’s Dope and directed multiple episodes of the Disney+ hit The Mandalorian, will serve as director.
