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HBO’s drama pilot Da Brick will not be going forward. The pay cable network just passed on the project, executive produced by Spike Lee, John Ridley, Doug Ellin and Mike Tyson. Written by Ridley and directed by Lee, Da Brick was inspired in part by Tyson’s youth and explored what it means to be a young, black man in supposedly post-racial America. The central character of troubled aspiring young boxer Donnie was played by newcomer John Boyega. Ellin, Ridley, Lee, Tyson and Jim Lefkowitz executive produced. The move comes on the heels of HBO also opting not to go forward with Ellin’s comedy pilot 40.
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Oh, Doug ellin, first 40 now this, he’s getting hammered by HBO, i doubt they’ll renew his development deal…
They can throw Boardwalk onto that pile too… such a waste of screentime.
I agree!
Give me a break. Boardwalk is hot. Why do Americans hate period pieces? Far be it from me to equate that with a general lack of intelligence.
Re: Da Brick, expect multiple micro-rants from Spike on Twitter in 5…4…3…2…
Because it is written for an intelligent audience and requires attention in this dumbed down present with mass ADD.
Looks like at least a few people with decent reading comprehension have bothered to look at Ellin’s writing– and not the success that Entourage was in spite of said “writing.”
INFURIATING!!!
they watched the last season of entourage and were just like “let’s not let this guy make any more tv, mmkay?”
Is it more of a shock that Doug Ellin didn’t have 2 shows picked up or that he ran a show without stakes that ran for 6 years?
I was obsessed with Entourage, loved it, and I have a BA in English Literature with a minor in biology. Why won’t HBO give Doug Ellin a chance with one of the shows?
i think he should combine his two failed pilots into one. Make it about 40 something boxer and his best friends from the old neighborhood. that would be some groundbreaking television right there.
A BA in literature (and a minor in biology — I almost forgot that) qualifies you to judge the merits of a literary work as much as my J Bieber Lvvr moniker qualifies me to judge music.
Is that you, Rick Santorum? There you go again, railing against people for going to college.
In fact, the exact opposite.
That sucks, would’ve been nice to see a drama with a black lead on HBO.
Totally agree. And I know it’s subjective, but I thought John Ridley’s script was just really gripping, brilliant writing. Always lots of other factors involved when things don’t make it through, but Ridley’s draft hopefully wasn’t one of them.
Even this plant is poorly written, John.
I’m sure there will be some pitiful “Johnny Bananas” meta cartoon on spike in about 5 minutes… He’ll milk the “entorage” property until it is truly dry and then create some kind of teenage “queens boulevard” prequel series about the lead-up to “entourage” where we can meet the teenage versions of turtle, e, vince and matt dillon.
The Vinny Diaries sounds cw ready!
I think HBO just wants to stick with two great dramas (Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones) but I think they’re stupid to pass on this and approve Luck SMDH I guess Showtime is going to surpass them and I hope Da Brick gets bought by them or Starz
It was smart of HBO to pass on this. It may have turned out to be a good drama but it would never be a hit show because it’s about boxing just like Luck will never be a hit show because it’s about horse racing. HBO is already spending millions on 2 dramas Luck and Treme that have bombed and generate practically zero buzz or excitement for the channel. Treme isn’t returning until this fall but no one is really complaining because it barley has a fan base. Imagine if HBO delayed the seasons of True Blood or Game of Thrones, people would be pissed. They need to think bigger, not necessarily bigger budget but shows whose concept will grab people instead of just looking for big hollywood names. I’m surprised they haven’t tried another genre show with the Walking Dead putting up massive numbers and True Blood and Game of Thrones being their biggest money makers. Genre TV shows on these adult cable channels always generate lots of buzz. It’s a shame they passed on Alan Balls All Signs of Death because that show could have been a hit but they said they didn’t have enough room for it. It would have a much more successful than Luck has been.
Actually the show wasn’t really about boxing. It was a really good script. Didn’t see the pilot but all the elements were in the script AND it was shot in picturesque Newark, NJ.
Even though the script in no way measured up to the Wire you could tell it was trying.
It sounds like the pilot wasn’t even shot, whereas it was for 40. Can anyone clear that up?
Pilot was shot in November
They passed on the brilliant script by union traitor, John Ridley. First Red Tails and now this. I hear Tyler Perry is hiring.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Sorry Doug. HAhhahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!
Couldn’t have not happened to a nicer guy. HBO clearly doesn’t want to be in the Doug Ellin biz and can you blame them.
Guess they couldn’t get passed Da stupid title.
Well when you hire your babysitter to be your assistant, then make her a “writer” and let her start bossing around industry professionals while trying to hide the obvious affair….
“Oh boy” another Ally Musika reference.
Larry, you don’t know the half of it. There should be a “tell all” book behind the scenes. Interviews with the crew. The babysitter got away with murder. She even got to write a pilot for HBO. Someone should dig that up.