Universal is hoping its biopic of rap legend Snoop Dogg will have the juice.
Craig Brewer, known for helming such films as Hustle & Flow and Dolemite Is My Name, is set to direct the untitled feature. Brewer is revising the script that was previously penned by Joe Robert Cole and tells the story of the music icon’s eventful journey along his path to fame. A cast has not yet been announced, nor has a release date.
Producers include Snoop Dogg, Brian Grazer and Death Row Pictures president Sara Ramaker. This marks the first project through Death Row Pictures’ overall deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios. Universal senior vp of production development Ryan Jones oversees the feature for the studio.
The film continues Snoop Dogg’s collaboration with NBCUniversal, as he is set to return to NBC’s The Voice this fall for season 28. He also contributed to NBC and Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Universal’s previous movies about notable hip-hop artists include 2015’s Oscar-nominated Straight Outta Compton, which surpassed $200 million at the global box office and features LaKeith Stanfield as Snoop. The studio also released the Oscar-winning 8 Mile in 2002, with the film starring Eminem and including autobiographical elements from his life.
Snoop Dogg is a 17-time Grammy-nominated artist who has also become a television and film mainstay. His debut album, Doggystyle, debuted in 1993 from Death Row Records and counts Dr. Dre as the sole producer, spawning the hit singles “What’s My Name?” and “Gin and Juice.”
Music biopics remain a top priority for Hollywood following such recent success stories as Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love and Searchlight’s Timothée Chalamet-led A Complete Unknown, with the latter Bob Dylan-focused feature landing eight Oscar nominations. Sony’s four-film project about the Beatles is set for theatrical release in April 2028, while the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere debuts this fall.
Brewer is represented by WME and Goodman Genow.
Deadline was first to report on Brewer’s involvement.
