Snoop Dogg has officially confirmed that his long-awaited biopic is on the way, surprising fans at CinemaCon in Las Vegas with a live performance and the big reveal of the actor who will play him.
The rap legend kicked off the Universal Pictures presentation with a medley of his biggest hits, including Drop it like it’s hot And Gin and juicebefore bringing Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss on stage.
Daviss, best known for his role as Pope Heyward in the hit Netflix series, has been cast as a young Calvin Broadus Jr. as the film charts his turbulent journey to global superstardom.
The film is intended to be a raw and unfiltered look at the artist’s life, with Snoop guaranteeing that the project will be rated R.
Drawing comparisons to Universal’s previous hip-hop hit, Straight out of Comptonthe rapper told the crowd that after his “brothers” were able to tell their story, it was finally his turn.
He also poked fun at his new life within the studio family, joking that he had a trailer on the lot right next to Steven Spielberg and that the fire department had already been called twice, not for a fire, he clarified, but for smoke.
Director Craig Brewer, the man behind Agitation and fluidity and last year’s Song sung in blueis at the helm of the project and revised the screenplay initially written by Joe Robert Cole.
Snoop is producing the film alongside industry heavyweight Brian Grazer and Death Row Pictures president Sara Ramaker.
The biopic marks the first project under Death Row Pictures’ overall deal with NBCUniversal, following in the footsteps of the studio’s 2015 NWA hit that saw LaKeith Stanfield briefly take on the role of Snoop.
With Hollywood currently obsessed with music biopics, including the new Michael Jackson movie released this month and future Beatles-centric projects, this R-rated look at the 17-time Grammy nominee is a high priority for Universal.
Snoop finished his high-energy set by introducing Universal film boss Donna Langley as “the queen” and giving her a matching studio necklace.
Although the film does not yet have a release date, the rapper has made it clear that he intends to “go gangster” to ensure his story is told with the authenticity his fans expect.
