Dennis Rodman North Korea Mission to Become Fox Movie (Exclusive)
"Ride Along" director Tim Story will helm the comedy, with Peter Chernin ("The Heat") on board to produce.
Could the world's strangest "diplomatic mission" be fodder for one of Hollywood's hottest comedic directors?
20th Century Fox has bought the comedy pitch Diplomats, inspired by Dennis Rodman's so-called "hoops diplomacy" mission to North Korea, as a directing vehicle for Ride Along's Tim Story (pictured below).
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Peter Chernin, hot off the hit Sandra Bullock-Melissa McCarthy comedy The Heat, is producing via his Fox-based shingle Chernin Entertainment. Jonathan Abrams is writing the script.
The ever eccentric Rodman became a lightning rod last year when he visited North Korea and befriended the country's dictator, Kim Jong Un. In January, he returned to the secretive country, which has an atrocious human rights record, and organized a basketball game in Pyongyang. He even sang "Happy Birthday" to the despot.
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Diplomats is described as a two-hander that takes its cues from the antics of the 6-foot-7 former NBA player Rodman, known as "The Worm." Meanwhile, the North Korean leader has also provided the comedic backdrop for another comedy, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's upcoming The Interview at Sony.
Story is fielding offers in the wake of Ride Along, which has earned $123 million domestically. He already is onboard for a sequel that will reteam stars Kevin Hart and Ice Cube.
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Story is handled by UTA, manager Jeff Field and Ziffren Brittenham.
Abrams is managed by Mosaic.
E-mail: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27
E-mail: Borys.Kit@THR.com
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