Four weeks ago, we brought you the news of Kevin Durant's first starring role in a movie. No details had been released, though; so far all we know is that it was the story of a kindly young man who teams up with a troupe of boy scouts to rid a small town of ornery gang members by using the healing power of basketball. It's a great idea that is entirely original. (Also, I cribbed it from the episode of "Walker Texas Ranger" I am watching this very minute.)
Luckily, we now know the general plot of the film, now named "Switch" (not to be confused with the 1991 Jimmy Smits/Ellen Barkin classic) and it sounds thrilling. From a casting notice (via EOB):
Synopsis: In a magical twist, Kevin Durant switches all of his basketball-playing skills with an enthusiastic young fan who becomes the star of his high school�team?and leaving Durant and the Thunder helpless. With the playoffs approaching, they need to discover what it is that brought them together before the early end to the Thunder's season.
Start engraving the Oscars now, Hollywood. With John Whitesell ("Big Momma's House 2") directing, this flick is going to be a huge hit. I just hope Fandango doesn't crash from the demand.
Durant's co-star is as yet unannounced, but from the looks of everyone involved I am going to guess he will be Brandon T. Jackson or some Disney Channel star I've never heard of with a name like Zak Smalling or Corbin St. Jacques. My real hope, though, is that other Thunder players like Russell Westbrook make appearances. Something tells me that Russ would really love any premise that involves his becoming the team's clear first option.
Unfortunately, "Switch" only has a budget of $7 million, so chances are it can't afford to pay its supporting actors much more than the Screen Actors Guild scale rate. If the NBA ever comes back, those wages will seem like a pittance in comparison with player salaries. There's a reason Ray Allen has only taken on one role since "He Got Game." Although that might not have been all about money: I hear he turned down the lead in "Just Wright" because he didn't want to pretend to be friends with Dwight Howard.
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