HBO is moving forward with Advantage Player, a gambling-themed drama starring and executive produced by Riley Keough. The project, which landed at the network in a competitive situation, is inspired by the real-life story of professional gambler Gina Fiore.
The series comes from Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res and is written and executive produced by Will Graham, who will also serve as showrunner. Advantage Player marks a reunion for Keough and Graham, who previously worked together on Prime Video’s limited series Daisy Jones & The Six. Keough starred as Daisy Jones, while Graham served as an executive producer and co-showrunner. Both received Emmy nominations for their work on the series.
In Advantage Player, Keough plays a brilliant misfit who discovers a way to beat casinos at their own game. Her talent draws her into the secretive world of professional advantage players—obsessive outsiders who operate by a simple philosophy: to beat the system, you have to outplay the people who created it.
Keough and Gina Gammell will executive produce through their Felix Culpa banner, alongside Fiore, Graham, Tonia Davis and Max Linsky of Invitation Media. Media Res’ Ellenberg and Christina Malach will also executive produce. Media Res will co-studio the series with HBO.
An HBO representative declined to comment.
An advantage player is someone who uses specialized knowledge, strategy and skill to gain an edge over a casino. Fiore documented her 24-year career as a professional gambler in her memoir, Advantage Player: Blackjack, Backrooms, and Beginnings.
Keough contributed a blurb to Fiore’s memoir, praising the gambler’s extraordinary life and calling her story unforgettable.
Keough has remained active across both film and television. This year, two of her films, Rosebush Pruning and Butterfly Jam, premiered at major international film festivals in Berlin and Cannes, respectively. On television, she most recently starred in Hulu’s limited series Under the Bridge.
Her upcoming film projects include Alpha Gang and Out of This World.
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