Bucks fans across the globe are hotly anticipating the Giannis biopic "Rise" coming to Disney+ later this month – but it turns out one of the Greek Freak's Milwaukee teammates beat him to the big screen thanks to Netflix's new movie "Hustle."
Produced by LeBron James, the new inspirational basketball drama stars Adam Sandler in one of his rare serious roles playing Stan Sugerman, a globe-trotting scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. If he can find the next big thing in the NBA, his dreams of becoming an assistant coach could become a reality – and he thinks he may have found it with a talented but unpolished player from the streets of Spain, portrayed by real-life hooper Juancho Hernangomez.
Hernangomez is far from the only NBA player going from on the court to on the screen in "Hustle," too. As you'd expect, several current Sixers pop up for cameos – from Tobias Harris to Matisse Thybulle to coach Doc Rivers to strangely NOT Joel Embiid – as well as legends like Julius Erving. But the list goes well beyond Philly, from Anthony Edwards as a rival player to Trae Young to Jordan Clarkson to Luca Doncic to Seth Curry to Kyle Lowry ... and, in a critical third-act combine scene, Bucks all-star Khris Middleton as himself.
As with most of the real-life cameos in "Hustle," Middleton's on-screen appearance is short. However, he acquits himself in front of the camera better than several of his fellow NBA players (*coughs* Kyle Lowry *coughs*) and even gets a whole line or two with Sandler. Get that man his SAG card!
Best of all, the movie around him is really solid as well, so check out Middleton and the rest of "Hustle" in select Marcus Theatres right now – or when it streams on Netflix beginning Wednesday, June 8.
And then after bingeing one Milwaukee Buck, be sure to watch another when Giannis and the Antetokounmpo family's story "Rise" streams on Disney+ beginning Friday, June 24. Look at that: Guys aren't leaving Milwaukee for Hollywood anymore; Hollywood's coming to Milwaukee. That's a film story worthy of four stars.
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.
