Where on Earth could you go to get away from Dwayne Johnson these days? He’s primed to dominate the box office this weekend with disaster pic San Andreas, co-stars in the high-grossing Fast & Furious franchise and is a regular on every kind of magazine cover imaginable. Now, Johnson is taking to the small screen with his HBO series Ballers, and the latest trailer for the show certainly capitalizes on The Rock’s star appeal.
Johnson plays Spencer, a former football player who leaves the turf in order to take on the position of financial advisor – meaning he gets to party with the NFL’s best while steering clear of any traumatic brain injuries. From the looks of the latest trailer, Spencer seems to be living the life – buying up pricey cars, flirting with gorgeous girls and wearing expensive suits under the warm Miami sun. What’s not to love?
Of course, given that this is an HBO series (albeit one much more akin to comedies like Entourage than dramas like True Detective), one can imagine Spencer will come up against all kinds of obstacles as he attempts to guide his players to relative safety while still letting them enjoy the rewards of success.
Ballers premieres June 21.
Set in Miami, Ballers is a half-hour dramedy centered on a group of current and former professional football players, as well as their families, friends, and handlers. The series goes beyond the game and explores not only the challenges that current players face, but also takes a behind-the-scenes, real look into their lives both on and off the field.
Created by Steve Levinson (Entourage) and produced by Mark Wahlberg (Entourage) among others, the pilot is directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Leftovers). Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) stars as Spencer Strasmore, a retired pro-football player, who is now struggling in his new career as a financial advisor. In his new role, he tries to advise his NFL friends financially and professionally, but identifies with the trials they are going through and tries (in vain) to protect them from making the same mistakes he and his teammates made.
