LaKeith Stanfield will play Dennis Rodman in “48 Hours in Vegas,” the Lionsgate film that’s reviving the infamous story of the NBA star’s mid-finals disappearance — and replacing Jonathan Majors, who exited the project after his 2023 conviction. 

Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope,” “The Mandalorian”) will direct and is rewriting the script, while producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Aditya Sood are attached. Executive producers include Dennis Rodman himself, according to studio notices.

Stanfield, an Oscar-nominated scene-stealer from “Judas & The Black Messiah,” issued a short statement about taking on the role. “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. “Those who moved to the beat of their own drum, undeterred by the obstacles placed before them, then and now.”

The film zeroes in on one of basketball’s wildest subplots — Rodman’s sudden 48-hour retreat to Las Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals. It promises to balance comedy and character study. Famuyiwa is said to be shaping the screenplay to better match his tone and vision for the material. The original draft was by Jordan DaVina. Lionsgate’s pick-up and new casting signal the studio’s confidence in moving past earlier setbacks and relaunching the project with fresh creative leadership.

The recasting ends a long shadow left by Majors’ legal troubles. The “Magazine Dreams” star was found guilty in Dec. 2023 of misdemeanor assault and harassment in a domestic violence case and was later sentenced to a 52-week domestic violence program in April 2024, a development that led to studios distancing themselves from his projects.

Stanfield’s casting shifts the film into a different space as he’s known for playing eccentric, layered characters in “Atlanta,” “Knives Out,” and “Sorry to Bother You.” No release date has been announced.