It's been a few years since Mike Tyson took the world of boxing by storm. In his retirement, Iron Mike is doing the same thing to the entertainment industry.

According to Variety, HBO has ordered a pilot called 'Da Brick,' based based on Tyson's rough and tumble early years when he was coming up as a young boxer. It will be directed by Spike Lee and co-produced by 'Entourage' creator Doug Ellin and Tyson. The script was written by 'Three Kings' writer John Ridley, and will be set in Newark, NJ.

Tyson has been on a TV roll in recent months. Comedy Central announced this week he will be a guest-roaster in the highly-anticipated skewering of Charlie Sheen. Tyson also appeared on an episode of the CBS life-swapping reality show 'Same Name.' All of those appearances, however, were dwarfed by his Animal Planet reality show 'Tyson on Tyson,' about pigeons.

Mike Tyson's been undergoing a career resurgence of late. Since his cameo in 'The Hangover' introduced audiences to a more lighthearted side of the former boxing world champion, he's had his own TV show about pigeon fancying and appeared in the Argentine version of 'Dancing With the Stars.'

Now comes news that he's teamed up with filmmaker Spike Lee and 'Entourage' creator Doug Ellin to develop a drama series for HBO loosely based on his experiences growing up.

According to Deadline.com, 'Da Brick' is "described as a contemporary exploration of what it means to be a young, black man in supposedly post-racial America." The drama will be set in Newark, NJ -- nicknamed "brick city" -- in the current day.

'Da Brick' will be written by John Ridley ('Three Kings,' 'Third Watch'). Ellin, Ridley, Lee, Tyson and Jim Lefkowitz are all executive producing, with Tyson's wife Lakiha Tyson and Azim Spicer, CEO of Las Vegas' SpiceReel Prods., co-executive producing.

HBO and Mark Wahlberg are getting into politics -- at least for a new series.

Variety is reporting that Wahlberg, Doug Ellin and Stephen Levinson, the successful team behind the Emmy-winning comedy 'Entourage,' are working on a new, untitled series that follows the relationship between a political aide and his boss, the former President of the United States.

The script comes from Ben Scherwin, who will also serve as co-executive producer alongside Wahlberg, Ellin and Levinson.

Fun Q & A with Entourage creator Doug Ellin in the New York Times. They touch on everything from what it was like growing up on Long Island, how much money he makes at HBO, and his irritation at how people nowadays want a quick "home run" in their career instead of working hard for success.

He also has a lot of interesting things to say about the four main characters on the show. HBO originally considered the show a satire, but Ellin had to convince them that it's actually reality and he knows people like this. It's how he perceives friendship and how it was when he was growing up.

He also says that he'd kill himself if his own kids grew up to be like Vince or Drama or Turtle or Eric, so I guess even friendship has its limits. Entourage returns for another season June 17.

If you like Entourage, then you might be interested in the new show that Doug Ellin is developing for HBO, which is being described by the question "What if the Entourage boys grew up?"

The show will be a half hour, and will focus on the lives of fortysomething guys on Wall Street. Ellin and co-producer Stephen Levinson got the idea when they realized that friends of theirs that worked on Wall Street were making over $40 million a year. Yikes!

But the show doesn't have a title yet. Readers, any ideas? Maybe something like Entourage, only more Wall Street/NYC-ish?

[via TV Tattle]

That's the angle of this Los Angeles Times piece, which says that many in the industry look at the weekly adventures of Vince and his gang not as comedy and drama but as a documentary, getting at the many truths of living and working in Hollywood, whether you're an actor, writer, producer, agent, wannabe or has been. The article also notes how many of the "inside Hollywood" shows, like The Comeback and Unscripted, are no longer around. Insider-ish shows about Hollywood aren't easy to do, and the general public doesn't always want to watch. But Entourage is a hit.

Also some interesting to see how Doug Ellin came up with the show and how he got it made.