LaKeith Stanfield Starring in ’48 Hours in Vegas’

Stanfield will be the controversial basketball star in the untold story of his legendary (and probably true) trip to Las Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals.

(Left) LaKeith Stanfield attends a Special Screening of 'The Book of Clarence' at Pacific Design Center on December 11, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Sony Pictures. (Right) Dennis Rodman at the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis. Photo: Comedy Central.

Preview:

LaKeith Stanfield is starring in ‘48 Hours in Vegas.’
He’ll play Dennis Rodman in the movie.
Rick Famuyiwa co-wrote the script and will direct.

A couple of years ago, the news wasn’t good for gonzo two-day drama ‘48 Hours in Vegas’: Jonathan Majors, embroiled in his legal issues surrounding assault allegations, exited the movie, and studio Lionsgate dropped it.

What a difference two years makes: now Lionsgate is back aboard, and it has a new star in LaKeith Stanfield, recently seen in ‘Play Dirty.’

The movie, which focuses on a wild two-day period in the life of controversial basketball star Dennis Rodman, has ‘Dope’ director Rick Famuyiwa aboard to call the shots after working on a new script draft, and it'll mark a reunion for the director and Stanfield, since the actor was part of the 'Dope' cast.

What’s the story of ‘48 Hours in Vegas’?

Dennis Rodman in 1997's 'Double Team'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Apocryphal or not, the story of Rodman’s crazed trip to Sin City inspired writer Jordan VanDina to chronicle how the NBA star went on a madcap adventure with his skittish assistant GM in the middle of the 1998 NBA Finals. The film will detail a budding friendship that neither one of them ever thought was possible but will end up solving both of their problems.

People had heard the rumors of this crazy story when it first happened in the ’90s, but it was recently given the spotlight again following the success of the Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls doc ‘The Last Dance,’ which premiered to massive numbers in 200. The incident was given the full treatment in the documentary.

Here’s what Stanfield had to say about joining the project:

“I’m genuinely excited to help create an exhilarating, joyful work that both honors and thoughtfully examines the legacy of Rodman and fellow trailblazers. Those who moved to the beat of their own drum, undeterred by the obstacles placed before them, then and now.”

And here’s Erin Westerman, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group:

“Dennis Rodman is more than a basketball player, more than a personality—he’s an entire cultural phenomenon. 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.”