Overview

• Starz is in advanced talks to acquire an untitled series about the Ohtani interpreter scandal that was originally announced by Lionsgate Television in May 2024.
• Alex Convery is attached as writer in what would be his television debut, with producers Scott Delman and Albert Chen overseeing the project.
• The narrative will follow Ippei Mizuhara’s loss of more than $40 million in illegal bets and his subsequent theft of nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s accounts to cover gambling debts.
• Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges in June 2024 and began serving a nearly five-year prison sentence in June 2025.
• The deal comes after Starz formally split from Lionsgate in May 2025 and underscores the premium cabler’s push into high-profile true-crime sports dramas.