The first definitive biopic of the legendary rapper and entertainment maverick Snoop Dogg is in the works at Universal, according to Deadline.
The untitled project has tapped Black Panther: Wakanda Forever co-writer Joe Robert Cole and director Allen Hughes, who previously helmed films including Menace II Society and Dead Presidents alongside his brother, Albert. Snoop is heavily involved in the project, specifically as a producer, alongside Sara Ramaker and Hughes. The pic, which marks the first film under Snoop’s Death Row Pictures banner, will include music from his decades-spanning catalog.
“I waited a long time to put this project together because I wanted to choose the right director, the perfect writer, and the greatest movie company I could partner with that could understand the legacy that I’m trying to portray on screen, and the memory I’m trying to leave behind,” said Snoop in a statement. “It was the perfect marriage. It was holy matrimony, not holy macaroni.”
Behind the project is Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley, who previously achieved massive success with feature-length content in the hip-hop domain. The imprint’s 2015 biographical drama Straight Outta Compton, which centered on the rise and fall of rap group N.W.A., grossed more than $200 million USD at the global box office and earned an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay.
“Snoop Dogg’s life and legacy makes him one of the most exciting and influential icons in popular culture,” stated Langley. “We met with Snoop shortly after he acquired Death Row Records and had the opportunity to hear his story in his own words. We are humbled to be able to create the lasting document of this singular artist.”
Snoop prominently entered the hip-hop scene in 1992, with a feature on Dr. Dre‘s debut single, “Deep Cover,” and later with his own albums: Doggystyle and The Doggfather. Since then, Snoop has sold more than 35 million albums globally, and he’s utilized his global acclaim to expand into additional cultural and business sectors as an actor, producer, DJ, media personality and entrepreneur.
