When he was one of the greatest stars in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal occasionally crossed over to acting in feature films. He even headlined Warner Bros.’ attempt to make a Steel feature film franchise.
But now is Shaq is heading to television for his first scripted comedy series. TruTV has picked up the pilot for “Shaq Inq.,” a workplace comedy that will star Shaq as himself and revolve around the team who runs his businesses. According to the official description, “The offbeat, yet capable, group juggles the mayhem of managing Shaq’s existing products and endorsements while implementing his latest batch of eccentric and oftentimes brilliant business ideas. While they’re all working towards the same goal, each employee is constantly jockeying for the power and recognition to make the big guy proud.”
If that premise sounds a little self-aggrandizing, keep in mind that Shaq’s biggest brand has always been himself. Does anyone else remember Shaq-Fu, the video game? That said, Shaq does have natural charisma that could be well suited for this project if a talented supporting cast is hired around him.
The Wedding Ringer screenwriter and director, Jeremy Garelick is writing the pilot for “Shaq Inq.,” with director John Fortenberry (“Galavant”) slated to helm the first episode. The move is part of TruTV’s push into original scripted comedy. Shaq’s presence on the network potentially gives TruTV its first real star.
A production date for “Shaq Inq.” has not been announced, but it will presumably film later this year.
