Following the deaths of Kobe Bryant and eight others in a helicopter crash two weeks ago, there have been cries for a movie to be made about his life. Ron Howard (Solo, Rush) believes that a film will ultimately be created, but it won’t happen just yet. He just doesn’t believe that the timing is right.
Speaking with TMZ at the airport, the longtime director said that there would be many opportunities to create films about Bryant’s life and his untimely death. When this happens depends on the respective filmmaker. However, Howard did say that working with the family would be crucial and that they would need time to grieve before agreeing to a project.
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That being said, Howard revealed that he would be honored to make a movie about Bryant. The circumstances would have to be right, but the director said that he would definitely tackle the project if given the opportunity. “Without a doubt,” he said.
Howard also reflected upon Bryant’s life and listed some of the reasons why this death has affected so many people. In his opinion, the late NBA star commanded respect for everything that he achieved in his career and for his pursuits after retiring in 2016.
“What a tragedy, what a great guy,” Howard said. “An emerging artist and entrepreneur on top of everything else. He’s just one of these guys that learned to be exemplary and great in every aspect of his life, so it’s a real loss. It’s a real loss to society because he was going to keep contributing.”
Following his retirement, Bryant won an Academy Award for his short film, Dear Basketball. This project was based on a letter that he had written to the Players’ Tribune and showed that he was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
Additionally, the longtime Lakers star also was an investor in the UFC. He had ownership stakes in the MMA league, as well as its official energy drink, Body Armor. According to UFC president Dana White, Bryant had actually received a payout the week before he died.
“Kobe got a distribution from the UFC the Wednesday before the incident, and he was so pumped up and excited and he said what everybody always says, ‘I wish I had invested more!’” White told TMZ.
With his various pursuits off the court, there is no shortage of content for a potential film about Bryant’s life. It’s inevitable that the late NBA icon will be remembered on the silver screen. When it happens is just unknown.
(Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
