Snoop Dogg Biopic in the Works

Snoop Dogg is ready to bring his life to the silver screen. The “Gin and Juice” rapper’s newly-established Death Row Pictures is developing the project with Universal Pictures. Allen Hughes, who directed Menace II Society and The Book of Eli with his brother Albert Hughes, is signed to direct. Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole will write the screenplay.

“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 to Deadline Wednesday. “It was the perfect marriage. It was holy matrimony, not holy macaroni.”

This will be the first film from Death Row Pictures, and Snoop is producing with Hughes and Sara Ramaker. The movie will also feature the rapper’s music, as Universal chairman Donna Langley has made it a priority to get music icons to allow the use of their songs in biopics. Langley is also developing biopics about Madonna and Cher, with both stars involved. Universal also released the 2015 hit Straight Outta Compton, which featured Lakieth Stanfield as Snoop.

“Snoop Dogg’s life and legacy make him one of the most exciting and influential icons in popular culture,” Langley said. “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, born Calvin Broadus Jr., burst onto the scene in 1992, when Dr. Dre featured him on “Deep Cover.” Since then, Snoop has sold over 35 million albums worldwide. His debut album, Doggystyle, includes the hits “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?),” “Gin and Juice,” and “Doggy Dogg World.” Snoop also has 17 Grammy nominations and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018. In September, he won an Emmy for contributing to the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. Snoop’s fame has reached far beyond the music world, making him an internationally-known pop culture icon. Universal did not say if the film will also explore his unexpected friendship with Martha Stewart.

Hughes shot to fame in Hollywood during the early 1990s with his brother Albert Hughes. They directed one of the iconic movies of that decade, Menace II Society, as well as Dead Presidents and The Book of Eli. Hughes has also directed several movies and documentaries on his own, including The Defiant Ones, an HBO documentary series about Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre’s business relationship. His most recent project is Dear Mama, a five-part documentary series about Tupac Shakur and his mother, activist Afeni Shakur.