Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick in Showtime series 'Super Pumped'
The season will feature a different story that rocked the business world
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The story of ride-sharing company Uber, which revolutionized ground transportation, is coming to television.
Showtime has given a series order to "Super Pumped," an anthology from "Billions" co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("The Trial of the Chicago 7") is set to star in the first installment, which is based on Mike Isaac’s bestselling book "Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber."
It tells the story of Uber, one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns. Pivoting on Travis Kalanick (Gordon-Levitt), Uber’s hard-charging CEO who ultimately was 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.
Even amid the radical upheaval generated within the global tech capital, Uber stands out as both a marvel and a cautionary tale, featuring internal and external battles that ripple with unpredictable consequences.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star as Uber co-founder Travis Talanick in Showtime's ‘Super Pumped.’ (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images For Comedy Central)
"Super Pumped" had been in development at Showtime, initially as a limited series, since 2019. Each season of the anthology series will explore a story that rocked the business world to its core and changed culture.
The series falls under Koppelman and Levien’s overall deal with the network. The duo and Beth Schacter ("Soundtrack") will executive produce, write and serve as showrunners. Paul Schiff, Stephen Schiff and Allyce Ozarski will also executive produce and Isaac will co-executive produce.
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"Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a remarkably intelligent and charismatic actor, embodying charm with an unpredictable edge," said Showtime’s EVP Scripted Programming Amy Israel. "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."
Travis Kalanick is best known as a co-founder of Uber. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Gordon-Levitt next will appear in Apple’s half-hour comedy-drama series "Mr. Corman," which he also created and directs. Gordon-Levitt founded and directs HitRecord, a creative collaboration platform that has led to his two Emmy Awards, for Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Social TV Experience and Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming.
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On the film side, Gordon-Levitt most recently starred in the Oscar-nominated "The Trial of the Chicago 7" as well as "Project Power" and "7500."