'Vice City' TV Show in the Works From 50 Cent
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is developing a new TV series for Paramount+ called Vice City. Jackson has become a major success in the TV industry as an actor and a producer, but this would be his biggest project yet. He is working with lauded writers, producers and directors from major action franchises, perhaps signaling the direction this show would take. (While the name brings to mind the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but it's not tied to the GTA franchise at all.)
Vice City was announced on Thursday in a report by Deadline, which took care to note that "Vice City" is only a working title. The show would reportedly be about three friends and army veterans returning to home to Miami, Florida in the mid-1980s after being dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Military for their involvement in the Iran Contra scandal. With no prospects and no credibility, the three team up with a mysterious Colombian immigrant to form a heist crew. Their combined skills, ambition and desperation put them all on a twisted path to the American Dream.
The show would be produced by Jackson's G-Unit FIlm & Television along with Lionsgate Television and Paramount Television studios. The idea stems from writers Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters, both of whom worked on Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. They would serve as writers and executive producers on this show while John Wick co-creator Chad Stahelski would serve as an executive producer and director. It's unclear what Jackson's title would be, though it seems he would be counted as a co-creator.
It's a busy time for the other three men on that list with both Rise of the Beasts and John Wick: Chapter 4 hurtling toward theaters. John Wick: Chapter 4 premiers next week on Thursday, March 23 while Transformers premieres on June 9. Metayer and Peters also wrote an adaptation of Val Zod, which hsa been greenlit by HBO Max and has even attracted Michael B. Jordan as its star.
As for Jackson, he is best known in the TV world for producing, directing and starring in Power, an acclaimed Starz original series with more chapters on the way. Behind the camera, Jackson has also executive-produced documentaries about rap music, crime and the criminal justice system, among other things. He also has a part in the upcoming Expendables 4.
For now it sounds like Vice City is only in development, so fans may not see it for themselves. Those who believed the show was associated with the Grand Theft Auto franchise will need to reign in their expectations. After the response on social media, maybe this "working title" will change in the development process.