Celtics' Kyrie Irving to star in film about haunted OKC hotel

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Kyrie Irving's next film project has been announced.

Irving will have a starring role in an upcoming film about the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City, where many NBA stars claim they have encountered paranormal activity. The movie will be produced by Imagine Entertainment co-chairman Brian Grazer and Bobby Cohen.

Cohen says the film will be a mix of comedy and horror.

"There are different ways to tell a story," Cohen told ESPN. "You could do a comedy version of this like 'Ghostbusters.' But what interested me more is what I refer to as the roller coaster horror movies, like 'Poltergeist,' where it's scary but it is also rich with wit and satire. So, we won't be doing a straight-up comedy, but it won't be hard-core horror like 'The Conjuring.'"

In 2016 with the Cavaliers, Irving once removed himself from a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to "flu-like symptoms." He later revealed he was nauseous due to bed bug bites he endured during the team's stay at the Skirvin Hotel.

Irving, who starred as "Uncle Drew" last summer, says this project will be a different kind of challenge.

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"'Uncle Drew' was a unique experience because I created and built the character through the different Pepsi videos we did after my first year in the league," Irving told ESPN. "The challenge with Uncle Drew was my character was the movie, so I was in almost every scene.

"This is an opportunity to be part of a movie where I can challenge myself in a different way."

Irving's agent, Jeff Wechsler, says the most of the filming will be done this summer and the movie is projected to be released sometime in 2020.

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