S. Samuel
Months after parting ways with G.O.O.D Music to pursue his own independent ventures, rapper-turned-actor Kid Cudi will show off his acting chops in the upcoming action-packed Need for Speed flick.
While details are still emerging, reports and a new trailer show Cudder will play a significant role in the thriller.
In the film, Aaron Paul, from “Breaking Bad,” plays Tobey Marshall, a street racer who is unfairly imprisoned for a crime that he didn’t commit (one that results in the death of his best friend). Upon release from prison, he decides to get revenge on the man who wronged him, which of course involves driving really sexy cars at really dangerous speeds. Dominic Cooper is the bad guy, Kid Cudi and Rami Malek are his buddies, Imogen Poots is the love interest (rocking a wonderfully white trash wig), and Michael Keaton plays some kind of ring leader of an underground racing circuit. Quite frankly — what is there not to love? (Moviefone)
Fans familiar with the Need for Speed video game series will be treated to an actual story rather than random racing.
Anyone familiar with the video game will know that it doesn’t have a narrative, just a lot of cool cars and locations. That gave Waugh and screenwriters George Gatins, John Gatins (Flight), and George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) the freedom to create something entirely new. In Need for Speed, Paul’s Tobey is out for revenge against a childhood rival, Dino (Dominic Cooper), who not only got him framed and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, but is also dating Tobey’s ex played by the future Anastasia Steele, Dakota Johnson. Despite an emotional core, the stunts are the centerpieces of the film, which Waugh and Paul see as a throwback to classic ’70s car pics like Bullitt. (Entertainment Weekly)
Outside of films, Cudi recently said his forthcoming Man on the Moon 3 release should help spark awareness and promote better decision-making.
“You’ll see it coming from a person who is looking at things from a more mature mindset, with more understanding and growth. I want people to be able to put this album on at different points in their lives and grow with me. This series was meant to show me grow as a man and it would not be right to do MOTM III and have me talking about driving drunk. I didn’t want people to listen and feel like, “Oh he’s giving us a lesson,” rather than be entertained, but I’m not condoning that sh*T, that’s not cool. When I’m singing about driving drunk on “Pursuit of Happiness” on MOTM, you may remember that it was a nightmare. It was meant to be scary, the craziness, the fact that this person chooses to look for happiness in substances; and that’s scary, that’s a terrible combination, that’s a terrible way to go about things.” (Music Connection)
Earlier this year, Cudi talked about his break-up with G.O.O.D Music and revealed making sure to let ex-boss Kanye West know he wanted to maintain a strong relationship.
“I overthink sh– all the time. I’m just emotional,” he added, laughing. Cudi broke the news to fans early in April, saying that he’d even reached out to Jay-Z for advice on how to broach the subject with Kanye, but once it was done with, there were no hard feelings and he and ‘Ye still have plans to work together. “In the last email he sent me, he was just like, ‘Yo, come out to Paris and work,’ but I gotta go shoot ‘Need for Speed’ first,” he continued. “I’ma handle that and hopefully he’s still working because I got some time in between so I might jet out and go check him, play him some beats that I been working on. Now that I know he might need my help I might go in the studio and actually try to make some beats with him in mind and see what comes outta that.” (MTV)
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Check out the film’s trailer:
