Showtime has ordered am anthology series with the first season set to tackle the rise of ride-sharing app Uber. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star.
The series, “Super Pumped,” was first announced as being in development in 2019, though it was not planned as anthology at the time. Each season will now explore a story that rocked the business world to its core and changed culture.
Season 1 is based on Mike Isaac’s book “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.” Gordon-Levitt will star as Travis Kalanick, Uber’s first CEO and co-founder, who was ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup. The series will depict the roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley.
Brian Koppelman and David Levien, creators of the Showtime series “Billions,” and Beth Schacter will executive produce, write and serve as showrunners on the series. Paul Schiff, Stephen Schiff and Allyce Ozarski will also executive produce, with Isaac co-executive producing. Showtime will produce, with Koppelman and Levien currently under an overall deal at the premium cabler.
“Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a remarkably intelligent and charismatic actor, embodying charm with an unpredictable edge,” said Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programing at Showtime. “We are beyond excited to see what he will bring to the role of Travis Kalanick, the hyper-brilliant and controversial CEO whose ambition and reckless drive threatened the very enterprise he was determined to build. We are equally thrilled to be partnering on another series with Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Beth Schacter, who always deliver provocative and deeply entertaining shows that drive cultural conversation.”
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The show marks the second series Gordon-Levitt has signed onto recently. He is set to star in the Apple series “Mr. Corman,” in which he will play the title role. He has previously starred in shows like “Comrade Detective ,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” and “Roseanne.” He is best known for his film work, starring in features such as “Inception,” “Don Jon,” “Looper,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The Walk,” and “500 Days of Summer.”
He is repped by WME and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
