Starz is in development on an untitled project from Lionsgate about the inside story of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara, who stole $17 million from the MVP slugger’s bank account to pay off gambling debits.
Alex Convery (Air, Tiger Slam) is now writing, executive producing and showrunning, with Fast & Furious franchise filmmaker Justin Lin directing, co-writing and executive producing. The series will follow Mizuhara’s journey from drifter to becoming tangled in a gambling scandal that rocked the world.
Lionsgate Television previously developed the series about Mizuhara’s gambling scandal when it was announced in May 2024 with Tony Award winner Scott Delman (The Book of Mormon, A Raisin in the Sun) producing with former Sports Illustrated journalist Albert Chen. Delman remains aboard the series as EP, and Chen as co-EP.
Steven Prinz of Lin’s Perfect Storm Entertainment is also an EP on the series.
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In February, Mizuhara was sentenced in federal court to four years and nine months in prison, and ordered to pay restitution of more than $18.1 million. Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June to one federal count each of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return. The interpreter contended he committed the crimes due to a gambling addiction, but prosecutors said his actions went beyond gambling and into greed.
In March 2024, Ohtani addressed his interpreter’s situation at a Dodger Stadium press conference.
“I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this,” Ohtani said. “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies,” he added at the time. “I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker.”
Convery is repped by UTA, Untitled Entertainment, and Morris, Yorn, Barnes, Levine. Lin is repped by CAA and Weber Offer Dern.