Yahoo Sports earlier today and we confirmed with the actor himself that Brandon T. Jackson has landed in the new comedy basketball family film with NBA superstar Kevin Durant, titled Switch. According to Jackson (who plays Durant’s agent in the film), the film stars all of the young NBA, including superstar Blake Griffin. We also hear that Shaquille O’Neal may land a role in the film.
According to other folks, filming is happening in Louisiana, and the filming should be done in a few weeks. Here is the story Yahoo Sports first announced, and we confirmed;
Synopsis: In a magical twist, Kevin Durant (notes) 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 (notes) 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 (notes) 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 (notes) .
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