Famous Director Wants LeBron James to Star in Next Film

LeBron James is probably best known to people on the basketball court and not on the big and small screen. Since he debuted with the Cleveland Cavaliers two decades ago, the four-time NBA champ has appeared in many TV shows and movies, but whether on the big or small screen and in animated or live-action form, James has appeared as himself, rather than a character.

Aquaman director Zack Snyder is open to casting James in a role that would give him a big Hollywood break. Snyder has been hard at work developing the Rebel Moon universe for Netflix; the first film in the series, Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire, premieres in theaters Dec. 15 and streams Dec. 21, and the sequel Rebel Moon – Part 2: The Scargiver is set for release in 2024. When thinking about who he would want to cast in another Rebel Moon production, Snyder told Variety he had one basketball player in mind.

"I have an embarrassment of riches. To dream bigger than that just seems rude," he conceded, before going on to dream big. "I think if I could get LeBron James in the movie… I know that sounds crazy. I’m just saying… We’ll see as the story evolves."

James has appeared as himself in live-action TV roles from Entourage to My Wife and Kids as well as animated shows like The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Teen Titans Go! In 2018, he voiced the purple yeti character of Gwangi in the animated film Smallfoot, which also featured the voices of Danny DeVito, Channing Tatum, Common, Zendaya, and Gina Rodriguez.

While fans around the country will be going to see Rebel Moon in theaters Dec. 15, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the San Antonio Spurs at 6:30 p.m. CT.