Sure, you might not have any strong feelings toward venture capitalist Bill Gurley now, but you’ll probably warm up to him to after watching Kyle Chandler portray the “plainspoken, brilliant Texan” in Showtime’s upcoming anthology drama Super Pumped about the rise of Uber, based on author Mike Isaac’s book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. Per the network’s release, Gurley “bets his sterling reputation on Uber’s success — and then has to live with the consequences.”
The Godzilla vs. Kong actor joins the cast across from Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Travis Kalanick, CEO and co-founder of the rideshare app, which the network touts as “one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns.” The season will track Kalanick’s exit from Uber following “a boardroom coup.” A fervent supporter of Kalanick, despite their “sometimes tumultuous relationship,” Gurley left the company’s board of directors one day after Kalanick’s resignation as CEO was announced in 2017. Billions’ Brian Koppelman and David Levien, alongside Soundtrack’s Beth Schacter, will write, executive produce, and act as showrunners.
“Kyle Chandler brings deep integrity, authentic presence and undeniable magnetism to every role he inhabits,” said Showtime’s Executive Vice President of Scripted Programming Amy Israel said in a statement. “We’re excited to see the dynamic pairing of Chandler as the brilliant Bill Gurley, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the high-flying disruptor. With these two actors leading the charge, the series promises to be a riveting, wild ride.” Because of all the Ubers, you see.
