Justin "Boosted J'' Smith is among the few people who can create an interesting biopic about Doyle Brunson, a renowned poker legend. Smith played high stakes poker in the past before he joined Hollywood as a film producer. He battled "Texas Dolly '' at the table during his poker career and still has connections with high-stakes poker communities.
PokerNews reported a few days ago that Radar Pictures is working on Doyle Brunson's biopic. The production company teamed up with Smith to produce The Last Samurai and Jumanji.
Even so, it is currently in the early stages of developing the biopic. Smith talked with Chad Holloway on the podcast about his involvement in the biopic and other poker-related projects that he might take part in in the future.
Smith's Transition from a High Stakes Poker Expert to a Hollywood Producer
Smith revealed in the PokerNews podcast that he relocated to Los Angeles over a decade ago and started competing in local poker tournaments. He met with different film industry stakeholders during this period, and they inspired him to produce films and television shows.
The former high-stakes poker pro has vast experience in the game and is planning to create a poker project or film soon. He stated that he hadn't thought about working in Brunson's biopic for long despite him playing on the Texas road betting circuit with poker pros such as Stu Ungar and Johnny Moss. The legend often placed huge proposition wagers on non-poker activities and golf.
Smith said that he thought creating a Brunson biopic would be off-limits. He has many ideas about various projects, but he doesn't understand how he never thought about featuring Brunson.
Even so, Jack Binion proposed Smith spearhead the project, and the high-stakes poker pro accepted it immediately. The former met with Brian Balsbaugh, Poker Royalty's founder and Chief Executive Officer, and traveled to Las Vegas to hang out with Brunson as he sought his approval for the biopic.
Smith stated that he felt it necessary and respectful to get Brunson's blessing first before he started the film's production process. He added that they don't feature someone's story without their collaboration, and Brunson trusted his team would do a great job.
Doyle's Story That Many People Don't Understand
Smith admitted that each writer desires to create a movie based on the life of a legend such as Doyle. The Godfather of Poker autobiography that was done in 2009 documented his poker experiences.
Many non-poker fans don't know Brunson's story. But poker diehards hear several legendary stories, including Brunson's. Some of them know he was a bettor, but they don't know about his life outside gambling.
Smith stated that he is currently working on several projects, but Brunson's biopic tops his works as he is always thinking about him. He is concentrating on the film's different angles as he doesn't expect it will simply retell his autobiography.
The producer discovered a lot of things about the poker legend that he didn't know before. He wants the biopic to describe Brunson as a gambler and a person.
The Queen's Gambit of Poker
Smith hinted that he is working on another poker project, "The Queen's Gambit of Poker" besides the biopic. This is a television series that increased many people's passion for chess in 2020 after it aired. The film producer believes that the Queen's Gambit of Poker will happen shortly.
