Pitch Perfect’s Skylar Astin has been cast as one of the two leads in ABC’s untitled NBA buddy comedy pilot, executive produced by Galavant creator Dan Fogelman, Mandalay Sports Media’s Peter Guber & Mike Tollin, and Kapital Entertainment’s Aaron Kaplan. The pilot is being done with the cooperation of the NBA and the Golden State Warriors, which is co-owned by Guber.
Astin has been among the most sought-after twentysomething comedy male leads this pilot season. He just became available after his TBS series, Ground Floor, was cancelled after two seasons.
Written/executive produced by Casey Johnson and David Windsor, the single-camera NBA project, from ABC Studios, is a buddy comedy about an NBA rookie who doesn’t speak English and a translator who doesn’t speak basketball.
Astin will play the translator, Jason, an average-sweet and a little wimpy guy with no athletic prowess who is working as a teaching assistant and living in his parents’ basement when he is recruited by the NBA team. A munchkin among giants in the world of professional basketball, Jason soon discovers that he’s being paid to be a lot more than just a translator. He also must be the new player’s 24/7 guide/best friend/mentor and protector, and he also has to find a way to light a fire under this incredibly tall and talented athlete who seems to lack drive.
Astin, repped by Principal Entertainment, Authentic Management, UTA and Fred Toczek, is reprising his role as Jesse in Pitch Perfect 2.
