A television adaptation of Doug J. Swanson's book Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker is in the works in Hollywood.
Sylvester Stallone's Balboa Productions and Cole Hauser's American Outlaw Entertainment have teamed up with MGM Television to tell the story of Benny Binion, the man who carved out the bedrock for the modern Las Vegas gambling scene. Hauser, whose film and television acting credits include Yellowstone and Dazed and Confused, will portray Binion.
Binion on the big screen
Blood Aces chronicles Binion's rise from the illegal underground gambling landscape in Texas to his establishment of Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino and involvement in the creation of the World Series of Poker. It's a gritty tale that spans one of the most caustic time periods in Las Vegas' history, described by Hauser as, "an incredible story which we can’t wait to tell."
‘Douglas J. Swanson’s book captures the incredible life of Benny Binion, a New West icon who was a conduit connecting many worlds, some glamorous, some dangerous, some shady, but all intriguing, while helping to build the foundation for both Las Vegas as we know it and the explosive worldwide popularity of poker,” Stallone told Deadline. “This is a story that will captivate audiences, and it’s a role made for Cole Hauser to play. I am proud and excited to partner with Cole to bring this story to life.”
The Blood Aces project announcement follows news of an impending eight-episode Netflix series centered around modern-day Las Vegas and the casino world. The legendary Martin Scorsese will serve as executive producer, with Rounders co-writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien – also co-creators of Showtime's Billions – signing on as showrunners and writers.
New York Times best-selling author and PokerStars Ambassador Maria Konnikova announced her involvement with the project in a post on social media.
Clearly, it's a good time to be a fan of poker on the silver screen – stay tuned for further updates about both projects as they come.
Images courtesy of Binion’s Horseshoe Club Photograph Collection, Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Sandra Lee Kaplan (Featured Image)
