What if the child star from 3rd Rock from the Sun starred in a Social Network-like television series about the rise of Uber? On February 27, Showtime subscribers will find out as Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Travis Kalanick in Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber.
The network released the first trailer for the first season of the series, which is set up as an anthology that will explore the many successes — and spectacular failures — in Silicon Valley’s tech industry. The Battle for Uber is based on The New York Times journalist Mike Isaac’s book Super Pumped and tells the real-life story of how Kalanick founded Uber, experienced almost immediate success, and was brought down by a variety of personal and professional blunders.
In addition to Gordon-Levitt, the series sports an impressive cast of well-known actors, some of whom portray famous public figures. Perhaps the most notable is Pulp Fiction‘s Uma Thurman, who stars as Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of The Huffington Post and a key player in the story. In addition to Thurman, the cast includes Friday Night Lights‘ Kyle Chandler as Bill Gurley, The Simpsons‘ Hank Azaria as Apple CEO Tim Cook, Cobra Kai‘s Elisabeth Shue as Kalanick’s wife Bonnie, Halt and Catch Fire‘s Kerry Bishe as Uber employee Austin Geidt, Mousa Hussein Kraish as Fawzi Kamel, and Babak Tafti as Uber’s Chief Business Officer Emil Michael.
Behind the scenes, Brian Koppelman, David Levien (both co-creators of Showtime’s other show about wealthy people, Billions), and Beth Schacter will executive produce, write, and act as showrunners for Uber and future seasons of Super Pumped. Isaac will also be on hand as an executive producer to guide his vision to the small screen.
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber premieres on Showtime on February 27.
