Starz is developing a new drama based on the gambling scandal involving Ippei Mizuhara, the former translator for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara was dismissed by the Dodgers in March 2024 after Ohtani’s team accused him of stealing millions to cover gambling debts.
Alex Convery, known for the film Air, will serve as showrunner and writer, while Justin Lin, director of Fast and Furious and SWAT, is attached to direct and co-write the series. Convery and Lin will executive produce alongside Scott Delman, with sportswriter Albert Chen as co-executive producer. Lionsgate TV has been developing the project since April 2024, with Delman and Chen overseeing its development.
The series will chronicle Mizuhara’s rise from an unemployed drifter to international prominence, before becoming embroiled in a scandal that shook the sports world. Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June 2024 to bank fraud and tax evasion and received a nearly five-year prison sentence. Ohtani was not involved in the allegations.
Convery has a track record of sports-focused projects, including Air and the upcoming The Tiger Slam, which centers on Tiger Woods’ consecutive major victories in 2000 and 2001. Lin is also directing upcoming projects, including a Helldivers film adaptation and Brzrkr, based on the comic co-created by Keanu Reeves.