S. Samuel
Famed director John Singleton is reportedly in talks with rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube to get behind the camera lens for an upcoming N.W.A. biopic project.
While brief on the details, Singleton said there is a possibility he may hop on board.
“I can’t talk too prematurely about the stuff I’m doing because nothing’s come to fruition yet, but Cube and I are talking about doing the N.W.A. story… The script is really, really good, and so we’re just figuring it out. New Line really wants to make it.” (Prefix Mag)
Various writers have already been attached to the long-awaited film project.
Who that script is written by, at least in terms of the latest draft, is unclear. Andrea Berloff (World Trade Center, the upcoming Fugees biopic), S. Leigh Savidge (The Legend of Dolemite, director of Welcome to Death Row a doc about Death Row Records), radio veteran Alan Wenkus and Matt Alvarez (a producer on most of Ice Cube’s films) have all had their names attached to the project so it very well could contain elements from all four writers. If so, it seems like a good team whose past and future credits qualify them to tell the story of one of rap’s greatest and most notorious ensembles hailed by Rolling Stone as 1 of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list (despite only having two albums). Not to mention that Eazy-E‘s widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, and Dr. Dre will also serve as producers on the film. (First Showing)
A year ago, Ice Cube updated fans on the film and revealed some key points it would cover.
“I’m trying to get the N.W.A movie made. I want to get a good script together and find a director. The movie is gonna cover how we got together, how we broke up and what happened after that,” says Ice Cube. And while he says he’s not yet sure who will play members of the iconic 80s rap group, Cube says he’s already has clear vision on how the movie will begin and end. “The bookmarks for the movie will be when [Dr.] Dre started DJing for his Momma doing house parties up to Eazy’s [E] death. There’s no reason to go after that.” (VIBE)
Around May 2010, Cube discussed putting the film together without N.W.A.’s late leader, Eazy-E’s assistance.
“We’re trying to put together an N.W.A movie, and he won’t be around to see that made. That’s what makes it a little sad, going back to the past. But for the most part, we had a ball putting it together.” There’s isn’t too much info about the possible N.W.A biopic, but Cube does have his hands full with plenty of other Hollywood projects. He plays a police officer investigating dirty cops on the force in the film “Rampart”; they start production on that movie later in the summer. Up first is the TV adaptation of his film “Are We There Yet?” (MTV)
John Singleton is most known for directing Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, Rosewood, Shaft, Four Brothers.
Check out some past Ice Cube footage down below:
