The television series “Swagger” based on the life of professional basketball player Kevin Durant will begin filming in Hopewell this week. Film crews will be working in the area on Tuesday and Friday. The series set to air on Apple TV+ will retell Durant’s experience playing AAU basketball as a child. The series will also film in Richmond’s Gilpin Court neighborhood.

Hopewell residents can expect a number of road closures due to filming this week. On Tuesday filming at City Park and the 6th Avenue Marvin Neal Bridge will cause closures on North Main Street, Appomattox Street and Library Street from 4 a.m. to noon. Multiple entrances to 6th Avenue will also be closed. 

On Friday filming will continue on the bridge and start at First Baptist Church. This will lead to the closure of South 6th Avenue from W City Point Road to Winston Churchill Drive as well as multiple entry point closures. 

Detour signs will be in place throughout the week to assist drivers.

Winston Duke (Black Panther, Us) has been tapped as the lead in Swagger, Apple’s new basketball-themed drama series from NBA superstar Kevin Durant and his Thirty Five Ventures, Shots Fired co-creator Reggie Rock Bythewood, Imagine Television Studios and CBS TV Studios, where Imagine TV has a first-look deal.

Written and directed by Bythewood, who also serves as showrunner, Swagger is inspired by Durant’s youth basketball experiences. It explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption.

Duke stars as Ike, a youth basketball coach and former star player.

Bythewood executive produces with Durant, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo for Imagine TV, Rich Kleiman for Thirty Five Ventures and Samantha Corbin Miller. The series will go into production this month.

James Seidman will serve as the Imagine executive on Swagger; Sarah Flynn will serve as executive for Thirty Five Ventures. The drama is co-produced by Imagine TV Studios and CBS TV Studios.

This marks a return to TV series for Duke who started his acting career in television, with a major recurring role on CBS’ Person Of Interest among his first gigs. Duke, probably best known for his role as M’Baku in Marvel’s Black Panther and Avengers movies, recently headlined, alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Jordan Peele’s Us. He will next be seen in Peter Berg’s Wonderland and Nine Days, directed by
Edson Oda. Duke is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson.

Source: Deadline/ WRIC Richmond