A Snoop Dogg biopic is in development at Universal Pictures.
Varietyreports the studio has enlisted Allen Hughes, who directed classics like Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, to direct the film from a script by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever co-writer Joe Robert Cole. The project will serve as the first production from Snoop’s Death Row Pictures.
“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,” Snoop said in a statement. “It was the perfect marriage. It was holy matrimony, not holy macaroni.”
It won’t be the first time Hughes tackles Gangsta Rap’s rise on screen. In 2017, Hughes directed HBO’s award-winning documentary The Defiant Ones, which focused on Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s partnership at Interscope. Hughes is also behind Hulu’s Dear Mama, a forthcoming five-part series about the life of Tupac Shakur and his mother.
“Snoop Dogg is one of the most internationally beloved figures in hip-hop. There’s just something about his energy that brings people of all walks of life together,” Hughes said in a press statement. “Snoop Dogg, not just the artist, but the man and his brand, has transcended generations with his connection and appeal to audiences. His story is so authentic and utterly inspiring, and to have the opportunity to tell his story allows me to go back to the hood 30 years after ‘Menace II Society,’ and say more now than I could then.”
Cole, who earned an Emmy nomination for his writing on the 2016 FX series American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, said he’s been a fan of Snoop since his career-making guest feature on Dr. Dre’s 1992 single “Deep Cover.”
“His music and the films of Allen Hughes have left an indelible mark on me over my life,” Cole shared. “What excites me most is the humanity of Snoop’s journey to international icon. Universal has proven they can guide a movie like this to something special. I’m proud to be a part of the team.”
