Now there is a headline I never thought I would write. I even struggled with a way to distill it down to something clever and cutting, but there’s really no other way to put it. Apparently Tim Story, the director of Ride Along, has signed on to make the film Diplomats, which tells the story of the relationship between basketball star Dennis Rodman and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
For those who may have been unaware of this unlikely bromance, Rodman made headlines not so long ago by singing “Happy Birthday” to Kim Jong Un before playing in an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang. Rodman has taken part in what’s called ‘basketball diplomacy,’ little more than exhibition games between North Korea’s basketball team (yes, they have one) and a crew of aging NBA stars. I think the idea is to foster some sort of dialogue between the West and the North Korea via our mutual love of basketball, or something like that. I wish I was making this stuff up.
Never one to pass up an opportunity to exploit the already exploitative, Hollywood has made the wise decision to make this whole mad idea into a film. Story’s attachment means that the project, from 20th Century Fox, will go into production once he has completed his sequel to Think Like A Man, cleverly titled Think Like A Man Too.
Whoever thought that Diplomats was good fodder for a cinematic adaptation ought to be fired right now. Unless Sacha Baron Cohen signs on to play Kim Jong Un (I’d go see that just for the shock value), I plan to stay as far away from this film as possible.
If you really feel like it, you can let us know what you think of Diplomats in the comments section below. Is the relationship between a crazed former basketball star and the crazed current dictator of North Korea a great idea for a film?
