'Da Brick': Spike Lee, Mike Tyson, Doug Ellin's New HBO Show

With his scene-stealing performance in both "The Hangover" films and a reality show about pigeons, Mike Tyson has found new life in the entertainment business. Now, he's making the leap from on-screen to major TV player.

Deadline reports that Tyson and Spike Lee are teaming up with "Entourage" creator and HBO show creator Doug Ellin for a new series set in Newark based on Tyson's early life growing up in the projects. It'll follow a young boxer as deals with the trials and tribulations of both his sport and his hometown; the pilot will be written by John Ridley, writer on "The Wanda Sykes Show," "Third Watch" and the "Barbershop" TV series, while Lee will direct.

Lee's next film project is a remake of the Korean thriller "Oldboy," which will star Josh Brolin.

For more, click over to Deadline.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that Mike Tyson's early childhood was spent in Newark, N.J. In fact, Tyson grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y.; the television show in development with Spike Lee will be set in Newark.

Comments

[jayquintana]

04:59 PM on 09/01/2011

I hope he doesn't make Cus D'Amato out to be a saint. Or Tyson as a merely misunderstood youth. Teddy Atlas should be hired as a consultant. He'll tell the truth.

[kokotye157]

01:18 PM on 09/01/2011

Don"t mess up Old Boy Spike.......geeze

[wanglog]

02:22 PM on 09/01/2011

no doubt! one of the best films i've seen this century.

[TooKrunk]

11:52 AM on 09/01/2011

As long as Tyson doesn't sing this should be alright

[bluffdaddy75]

09:10 AM on 09/01/2011

how many white people gon be in this one lee?

[Jebus Chris]

12:19 PM on 09/01/2011

Hopefully there will be as many whites as there were blacks on "Friends"

[Absolute]

01:53 PM on 09/01/2011

say that

[pleasantlyny]

12:37 AM on 09/02/2011

or seinfeld

[redbuns]

07:13 AM on 09/01/2011

hadn't heard anything about mr. lee in years...i thought he was dead.

[Jacques Steen]

09:25 AM on 09/01/2011

Y A W N

He might as well be.

[Redhunteur]

05:30 AM on 09/01/2011

I would be frightened if a hulking, unstable, violent, ex-felon, rapist, wife-beating, drunken cocaine-fiend moved in next door to me.

Oh wait, he's FAMOUS? Well then let's celebrate him by all means!

Hollywood, there isn't a lack of substantial material/individuals to make movies about it's just that you would rather elevate sociopathic behaviour so long as it comes from people that everyone has previously heard about. You know, so you have to do so much less reading, research and work.

Keep reaching for those "stars", jackholes.

[NatTurner1]

10:17 AM on 09/01/2011

I dont think Charlie Sheen or Mel Gibson's neighbors mind at all.

[Redhunteur]

02:27 AM on 09/02/2011

Don't recall mentioning them and since I don't live in a mansion I don't see where that would even be an issue.

At least your first three words were accurate.

[QU347]

05:25 AM on 09/01/2011

why are ppl saying Tyson grew up in BK, we all know that. This show is gonna be loosely based on his life like Entourage was loosely based on Mark Wahlberg's life but no one complained that Vince was from Queens and not South Boston

[themightyabealrd]

04:48 AM on 09/01/2011

Because I so admired his 'Malcolm X', I have for a long time wished Lee would do a Jackie Robinson biopic. It may not be a commercially viable idea, however.

[Celtic Hawk]

04:34 AM on 09/01/2011

Everything Spike Lee does is junk.

[Jacques Steen]

09:25 AM on 09/01/2011

Y u p .

[Knothare1230]

12:01 PM on 09/01/2011

Please, more like you're preaching your politics.

[GirlInNYC]

10:04 PM on 08/31/2011

Honestly, I could care less about this wife beating rapist. Are there no positive black men that Spike and other networks could lend their talents to? Shame, Spike. I have always supported him otherwise.

[KPinSEA]

05:06 AM on 09/01/2011

None so easily exploited for a buck, apparently.

[KingGlorious]

01:02 PM on 09/01/2011

GIRLnNYC-

You make a good comment here and I totally agree with you.

Is the brilliant astronomer, Dr Neil De Grasse Tyson available? He is the Tyson the masses should know about....

Ya Think???

[William Carnegie]

08:38 PM on 08/31/2011

Tyson grew up in Brooklyn!

[RyanRugbyTighthead]

08:05 PM on 08/31/2011

Very cool. I have been waiting for Spike to return to his roots for years.

[KPinSEA]

05:07 AM on 09/01/2011

Many have ... though not quite the way you mean. "Just go back wherever you came from" isn't exactly the same.

[Gigity]

06:47 PM on 08/31/2011

Boooo, I want Spike to act in it as well.

[robjh1]

06:03 PM on 08/31/2011

Another show about the Ghetto. Thanks!

[jwredd]

09:55 PM on 08/31/2011

As opposed to what? Another reality show about some other obscenely wealthy surgically enhanced to no positive effect housewives from wherever that have absolutely nothing to contribute to life on earth?

[robjh1]

10:15 PM on 08/31/2011

Good lord no! We don't need anymore so called reality shows with people thinking it is the real deal.

[patblue]

10:42 PM on 08/31/2011

What would you prefer, shows like the Jersey shore, Teen Mom, or Swamp people, Theses shows are just as disgraceful as your so called "ghetto" Shows. But I guess it's different because the majority of the cast are white.

Besides how many "ghetto" shows are there?? I bet you there not a lot, because there's not that many black shows to begin with.

[robjh1]

11:12 PM on 08/31/2011

Heaven's no! As far as I'm concerned they can flush all these shows in the toilet and take MTV and BET with them.

Follow my missives, I detest all these shows. Teen Mom? What a bunch of static drama appealing to the lowest common denominator just like Jersey shore.

[nbart71]

04:56 PM on 08/31/2011

Spike makes it, I'm watching it. It's been that simple for me since Do The Right Thing.

[kmcv]

08:28 PM on 08/31/2011

Fanned. I could have made that comment, verbatim.