Queen Latifah is preparing to bring her life story to the big screen with a new biopic that kicks off a series of movies about hip-hop icons.
Latifah, a Grammy and Emmy winner and Oscar nominee, and her Flavor Unit Entertainment partner Shakim Compere will produce the forthcoming movie with Westbrook Studios and Jesse Collins Entertainment (“The New Edition Story” and “The Bobby Brown Story”). Will Smith and Miguel Melendez will produce for Westbrook Studios; Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon produce for Jesse Collins Entertainment; and Charlie Mack will also serve as a producer on the project.
“We all came into this industry together and Hip Hop has shaped each and every one of us,” said Latifah and Compere in statement announcing the project and the collaboration. “Hip Hop’s impact has expanded beyond just music and has created a lasting impression on culture and society overall. It is a dream to be able to collaborate with friends and colleagues that have not only a shared understanding, but are able to tell these stories that were the backdrop of our lives.”
News of the biopic shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, since in her 2022 Variety Power of Women cover story, Latifah teased that she had some interest in presenting the Dana Owens story in film form. “I actually have some things I’m cooking up,” she said slyly. “[But] I’ve got to break some of that up [into different projects]. There’s so many stories to tell.”
The Queen Latifah movie is set to the first in a planned slate of biopics about iconic artists, which will be independently financed by HarbourView Equity Partners. The firm will provide a portfolio of more than 70 music catalogs and thousands of titles spanning numerous genres, eras and artists for potential development opportunities. Details about additional projects will be announced at a later date.
Deadline was first to report news of the forthcoming film slate and Latifah biopic.
Source Agencies
