UPDATE: Universal has announced that its Snoop Dogg biopic, “Snoop,” will hit theaters on August 7, 2027 — the same release timeframe that “Straight Outta Compton” received in 2015. The rapper confirmed the film will be Rated R, and according to producer Donna Langley, it will have the same vibes as ‘Compton.’
Jonathan Daviss will be playing the rapper. Daviss is best known for playing Pope Heyward on Netflix’s hit series “Outer Banks.” Raised in Tennessee and later Texas, he began acting in small TV roles before landing this breakout performance in 2020.
Craig Brewer will be directing “Snoop.” He takes over from original helmer Allen Hughes. This one’s long been in development for almost a decade, but seems to finally be picking up some steam.
Snoop Dogg, born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur who rose to fame in the early ‘90s under the mentorship of Dr. Dre. Known for his laid-back flow, West Coast style, and iconic persona, Snoop became a defining figure in hip-hop with hits like “Gin and Juice” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
“Snoop” will inevitably earn that “R” rating, mainly because his rise to fame in the early ’90s was closely tied to West Coast hip-hop and all the realities that came with it—street life, gang culture, legal issues, and plenty of conflicts. We’ve been down this road before, with biopics of Tupac (“All Eyez on Me”), Biggie (“Notorious”), 50 Cent (“Get Rich or Die Tryin’”), NWA (“Straight Outta Compton”) and Eminem (“8 Mile”) having already graced the big screen.
It’s worth mentioning that Brewer is the writer and director of last December’s “Song Sung Blue,” which earned Kate Hudson an Oscar nom. Brewer’s made a handful of strong films, including “Hustle & Flow” and “Dolemite Is My Name,” but does sometimes hop onboard jobs such as the critically panned “Coming 2 America.”
“Snoop” could go either way. F. Gary Gray did a great job directing “Straight Outta Compton” in 2015, and he’s set up a nice blueprint for Brewer to follow.
This is just the latest in Hollywood’s current music-biopic obsession, which—after “Michael” stormed the box office—will go into full-blown overdrive. We already have upcoming biopics set to tackle Bon Jovi, Blondie, Britney Spears, The Beatles, Madonna, KISS, Joni Mitchell, Lionel Richie, The Mamas and the Papas, The Bee Gees, Carole King, Ronnie Spector, Janis Joplin, Dionne Warwick, Sinéad O’Connor, and Linda Ronstadt.
Festival press conferences have turned into landmines of political questioning, to the point where some artists would probably prefer to turn down being a juror at Cannes, Venice, or Berlin.