A documentary about Dennis Rodman that’s been in the works for close to six years — a project directed by the late Penny Marshall — might still hit theaters after her death.
The documentary aptly titled, “Rodman” was on her mind the day Marshall died when she phoned the film’s producer, Matthew Conlan, and “She said, ‘What are we doing with Rodman? We’ve got work to do!'” Conlan recalled, per the Hollywood Reporter Thursday. (RELATED: Dennis Rodman’s New Christmas Sweater Involves Trump And Kim Jong Un)
Retired American professional basketball player Dennis Rodman speaks to the press as he arrives at Changi International airport ahead of US-North Korea summit in Singapore on June 11, 2018. (Photo credit: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)
Rodman and the famed director became friends over the years and he reached out to her for her help with the film after working with a different director.
“She always said she was addicted to crazy,” the film’s former director turned producer Russell LaFreniere shared. “I think she saw a little of herself in Dennis – she’d been through difficult times, too.”
“She really cared about him,” he added. “And once she came onto the movie, it opened doors. She could call Mark Cuban and he’d come over for an interview – that wasn’t something I could do.”
The movie is in the post-production stage and reportedly boasts hundreds of hours of footage of interviews about the man — who has rarely been shy about sharing his thoughts – as reported after Marshall’s death last month following complications of a combo of heart failure and diabetes.
Penny Marshall arrives at the 2005 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Morton’s in West Hollywood February 27, 2005. REUTERS/ Kimberly White
Conlan said he still hopes to get the film in theaters and have it hit by September 1st, as previously listed on IMDb.
“So Dennis is looking forward to his ESPN 30 for 30 documentary coming out in June then hopes Penny Marshall’s footage she and her team accumulated over the past 7 years can be made into a film. We know she did over 130 interviews and several subjects are no longer with us,” a rep for the former NBA star shared with Page Six.
“Her magic touch was on it so we’d love to see it come to the big screen as much as a way to pay respect to her being the best at what she did and have it win some posthumous awards for her legacy,” he added.