If the NBA Finals are usually mythology carved in sweat and muscle memory, Dennis Rodman’s legend also has a footnote written in neon—an infamous 1998 mid-series escape to Las Vegas that somehow still ended with the Chicago Bulls hoisting another trophy. Now that two-day “Sin City” fever dream is getting the big-screen treatment: LaKeith Stanfield is set to play Dennis Rodman in Lionsgate’s “48 Hours in Vegas,” with Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope“) directing.
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Stanfield replaces “Magazine Dreams” star Jonathan Majors, who was fired from the picture, along with “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” after he was convicted for misdemeanor assault and harassment of his then-girlfriend, leading to probation and a mandatory domestic violence program.
Per the film’s official synopsis, “48 Hours in Vegas” is inspired by Rodman’s “legendary trip to Las Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals,” with the Bulls “on the verge of completing their second consecutive three-peat championship in eight years,” following Rodman through “two days in Sin City and his madcap (possibly true) adventures.” Jordan VanDina wrote the script, with Famuyiwa also set to write the next draft.
In a statement, Stanfield framed the project as both a celebration and an interrogation of a one-of-one icon. “I’m genuinely excited to help create an exhilarating, joyful work that both honors and thoughtfully examines the legacy of Rodman and fellow trailblazers,” he said (via The Wrap). “Those who moved to the beat of their own drum, undeterred by the obstacles placed before them, then and now.”
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Erin Westerman, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, positioned Rodman as something bigger than sports—an entire cultural tremor. “Dennis Rodman is more than a basketball player, more than a personality—he’s an entire cultural phenomenon,” Westerman said. “His bold style and physical presence, combined with an iconic persona, created a larger-than-life impact on and off the court. There’ll never be another like him. LaKeith and the incredibly talented team on this film will bring the legend to life in this most extraordinarily unbelievable story.”
Production-wise, the movie is assembling a very specific kind of modern studio muscle: Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Aditya Sood are producing, while Ari Lubet, Rodman, and Lucy Kitada will serve as executive producers, with Nikki Baida set to co-produce.