Adam McKay Opens Up About What To Expect From His Next Big Project With HBO Max

There's a lot riding on the line for Adam McKay and his next big project with HBO Max. 

The untitled biopic will focus on Jerry Buss' legendary 1980s "Showtime Era" Lakers squad, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and it's set to star John C. Reilly as Dr. Buss (per HBO). McKay made headlines late last month when it was revealed that he and longtime collaborator Will Ferrell would be ending their comedic partnership following McKay's decision to cast Reilly instead of Ferrell in the highly-anticipated Lakers series. Ferrell is a massive LA fan and is largely considered one of the team's most beloved celebrity supporters, right up there with Snoop Dogg and Jack Nicholson (via Sportskeeda). So, to no one's surprise, the "Step Brothers" funnyman was a little upset about McKay's decision — which the director stands by, even after it cost him a business partner and friend. 

"It's kind of crazy to see how much has been reported on this," McKay told The Hollywood Reporter in a new profile piece. "I love Ferrell. Always will. I had the best, most fun run of my life with him. Yes, I wish I had talked to him about it out of respect, but we were both focused on our new companies and life just took over." McKay offered THR another major reason as to why he ultimately chose Reilly over Ferrell, while also sharing some other tidbits about what to expect from his Lakers series. 

According to Adam McKay, his HBO portrayal of the '80s Lakers squad will be as real as it can possibly get in Hollywood, and that's why he ultimately went to Reilly for the role of Jerry Buss. 

"I mean, John C. Reilly looks exactly like Dr. [Jerry] Buss," McKay told The Hollywood Reporter. "Quincy Isaiah is unbelievably talented and looks just like Magic [Johnson]. It's crazy." The filmmaker further revealed that the show will be 10 episodes long and "dramatic" at times. "There's really good acting in it, and it has style breaks," McKay explained. "There are dramatic moments. It's about race. It's about class...We're hoping to do a second season and maybe a third season." The series will also star Adrien Brody, Jason Segel, Sally Field, Jason Clarke, and Solomon Hughes. 

While McKay knows that sports fans are super excited about the new Lakers project, he just wishes people would focus more on the subject matter and show itself rather than the drama surrounding it. The same goes for his new film, "Don't Look Up," which has been overshadowed in the press by the Will Ferrell break-up. He told THR, "We made 'Don't Look Up' to hopefully get people talking about the climate crisis — literally the biggest threat to life in human history — and to see so much made about two comedy guys not talking about a TV show is a scary sign of our times."