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 set to play him.
The rap legend kicked off Universal Pictures’ presentation with a medley of his biggest hits, including Drop It Like It’s Hot and Gin and Juice, before bringing Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss onto the stage.
Daviss, best known for his role as Pope Heyward in the hit Netflix series, has been cast to portray the younger Calvin Broadus Jr. as the film tracks his eventful journey to global superstardom.
The film is set to be a gritty, 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 success, Straight Outta Compton, the rapper told the crowd that after his “brothers” got to tell their story, it was finally his turn.
He also poked fun at his new life as part of the studio family, joking that he has a trailer on the lot right next to Steven Spielberg and that the fire department has already been called on him twice, not for fire, he clarified, but for the smoke.
Director Craig Brewer, the man behind Hustle & Flow and last year’s Song Sung Blue, is at the helm of the project and has revised the script originally 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 N.W.A. hit which saw LaKeith Stanfield briefly take on the role of Snoop.
With Hollywood currently obsessed with musical biopics, including the new Michael Jackson movie released this month and future projects centered on the Beatles, this R-rated look at the 17-time Grammy nominee is a high priority for Universal.
Snoop ended his high-energy set by introducing Universal film boss Donna Langley as “the queen” and gifting her a matching studio necklace.
While the film doesn’t have a release date just yet, the rapper made it clear that he intends to “get gangster with it” to ensure his story is told with the authenticity his fans expect.
