John Boyega (Attack the Block) has been cast as the lead in the Spike Lee–directed TV drama Da Brick, which was picked up by HBO yesterday. The actor will play a young boxer based on Mike Tyson, whose early life in Newark is the inspiration for the series. Other just-announced casting decisions include The Wire’s Julito McCullum and Gossip Girl’s Kamahl Naiqui Palmer as the close friends of Boyega’s character, Donnie. Doug Ellin, who is responsible for bringing the world the Mark Wahlberg Story in the form of Entourage, is set to produce, along with Tyson himself. [THR]