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Read Full BioThe story of Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, who allegedly stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star, will be adapted into a drama series.
TV network Starz has picked up the project in collaboration with Lionsgate TV. The series will tell “the inside story of Shohei Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara, who journeys from unemployed drifter to international icon only to find himself tangled in a gambling scandal that rocked the sports world.”
Mizuhara is now serving time behind bars after receiving a 57-month prison sentence for stealing the money from Ohtani to fund his gambling habit. A judge also ordered the disgraced interpreter to pay back the money to Ohtani and pay $1 million to the IRS.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return, admitting to placing approximately 19,000 bets with illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer over a two-year period. This led to debts of $40 million.
His defense argued for an 18-month sentence, claiming Mizuhara had a long-standing gambling addiction. Prosecutors countered that there was “minimal evidence” that the interpreter had gambled before he stole from the MLB star.
Series Gets ‘Fast and the Furious’ Treatment
Hollywood Reporter confirmed the drama will be directed by Justin Lin, best known for directing the Fast and the Furious series. Lin will also co-write and act as an executive producer on the series.
Alex Convery is set to serve as showrunner and writer. Convery has worked on previous sports-related productions, including Air, the 2023 film about Nike’s relationship with Michael Jordan. He is also set to write the screenplay for The Tiger Slam, a biopic about Tiger Woods’ run of winning four consecutive major golf tournaments in 2000 and 2001.
Mizuhara first met Ohtani when working as an interpreter at the Japanese baseball team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in 2013. He then joined the player in the US following his move to the Los Angeles Angels. He seemingly maintained a good relationship with the three-time MLB MVP as he then made the switch to the Dodgers with the player.
When the scandal broke, Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani had transferred the funds to Bowyer to help him out of his gambling debts. Ohtani, however, denied this and filed criminal charges.
Scandal Implicated Illegal Bookies & Casinos
The scandal also led to Bowyer being prosecuted for running an illegal gambling operation. He was sentenced to a year in prison, significantly less than the three-year sentence recommended by probation officials.
Mizuhara reportedly still owes Bowyer $23 million, a sum unlikely to be recovered. Major casinos were also implicated, having been found to allow Bowyer and other illegal bookies to launder money at their properties.
Resorts World Las Vegas agreed to pay a $10.5 million fine, the second-largest in Nevada gaming history. The record fine was a result of multiple anti-money laundering failures, including not flagging the $8 million Bowyer lost at the property.
The casino is the subject of a recent lawsuit by high-roller RJ Cipriani, who alleges he informed the casino about Bowyer, only to be ignored and persecuted.
Caesars Entertainment also agreed to pay a $7.8 million penalty for permitting Bowyer to gamble at its Las Vegas properties. Meanwhile, MGM Resorts paid an $8.5 million fine for similarly allowing Bowyer to regularly gamble at its casinos.
No timeline has been given for when the drama series will be released at this point, as the project remains in its initial stages.
