SHOWTIME has announced that Oscar and Emmy(R) nominee Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction) will join SUPER PUMPED, a new anthology series with the first season based on Mike Isaac’s bestselling book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. Thurman will star as Arianna Huffington, the businesswoman, and co-founder of The Huffington Post, who was an Uber board member. She joins Emmy winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7) who has signed on to star in the first installment as Travis Kalanick, Uber’s hard-charging CEO who was ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup, and Emmy winner Kyle Chandler (Bloodline, Friday Night Lights) as Bill Gurley, the plainspoken, brilliant Texan venture capitalist who bets his sterling reputation on Uber’s success – and then has to live with the consequences. Brian Koppelman and David Levien (BILLIONS, Rounders) and Beth Schacter (Soundtrack) will executive produce, write and serve as showrunners on the series. Allen Coulter (The Sopranos, RAY DONOVAN) has signed on to direct and executive produce the first episode. The announcement was made today by Amy Israel, Executive Vice President, Scripted Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
“We’ve been eager to work with Uma Thurman for a long time, and we’re thrilled to have found the perfect role for her in Arianna Huffington – a role to which Uma will lend her innate complexity, intelligence, and magnetism,” said Israel. “Uma, Joseph, Kyle, and our incredible ensemble will undoubtedly bring this propulsive, culture-defining and wildly entertaining story of SUPER PUMPED to life. We can’t wait for the world to see it.”
Thurman received an Academy Award(R) nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mia Wallace in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and, as Tarantino’s muse, she earned widespread plaudits for her role as The Bride in the Kill Bill film franchise. Thurman’s entrance into mainstream film began following her role as goddess Venus in Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Cecile in Dangerous Liaisons opposite John Malkovich. Additional film credits include Beautiful Girls, Batman & Robin, Les Misérables, Prime, and The Producers. On TV, Thurman garnered acclaim for Hysterical Blindness, which she produced and starred in, and received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her arc on Smash. In 2017, Thurman made her Broadway debut as the star of The Parisian Woman. She will next be seen on the upcoming Apple TV + series Suspicion and Disney + film Stargirl.
SUPER PUMPED tells the story of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns, Uber. Pivoting on Kalanick (Gordon-Levitt) and his sometimes tumultuous relationship with his mentor Gurley (Chandler), the SHOWTIME 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. SUPER PUMPED is the first installment of an anthology series in which each season explores a story that rocked the business world to its core and changed culture. The series also stars Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Kerry Bishé (Halt and Catch Fire, PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS), Jon Bass (Miracle Workers), Bridget Gao Hollitt (Home and Away), and Babak Tafti (Succession). In addition to Koppelman, Levien, and Schacter, Paul Schiff, Stephen Schiff, and Allyce Ozarski will also executive produce. Isaac will co-executive produce the project. The anthology series will be produced by SHOWTIME and is part of Koppelman and Levien’s overall deal with the network.
