CELEBRITY
Lionsgate Developing TV Series About Shohei Ohtani Interpreter And Gambling Scandal
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Lionsgate Television is developing a series based on the gambling scandal surrounding Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his Japanese interpreter, who this week agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges.
The scripted series, which is in early development, is being produced by Scott Delman and Albert Chen.
“With a strong track record of creating daring, boundary-pushing series, Lionsgate Television is the perfect partner to bring this unbelievable story to the screen,” Delman said in a statement. Delman has an extensive theater background, producing hit Broadway shows including The Book of Mormon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, and The Ferryman, and winning 13 Tony Awards. For television, he adapted the Max series Station 11.
“In addition, Alberts extensive sports journalism background will enable us to connect the dots to make sense of the startling turn of events weve seen play out on the world stage, Delman said.
This is major league baseballs biggest sports gambling scandal since Pete Rose — and at its center is its biggest star, one that MLB has hitched its wagon on. Well get to the heart of the story — a story of trust, betrayal and the trappings of wealth and fame, said Chen, author of Billion Dollar Fantasy.
Lionsgate said the series will follow Ohtanis rise to baseball stardom and the largest contract in American sports history, at 10 years for $700 million with the Dodgers, and his fall into controversy at the start of the 2024 Major League Baseball season.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California on Wednesday announced that Ohtanis former interpreter, 39-year-old Ippei Mizuhara, agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud charges for transferring almost $17 million from Ohtanis account without his knowledge or permission in order to pay off his gambling debts.
TMX contributed to this article.
