Washington DC [US], June 10:
Jonathan Daviss, best known for his role as Pope Heyward in Netflix’s Outer Banks, has landed the lead role in the upcoming biopic about iconic rapper and entertainment mogul Snoop Dogg. The film will be directed by Craig Brewer, acclaimed for Hustle & Flow and Dolemite Is My Name.
This biopic is being produced by Snoop Dogg himself, along with Brian Grazer and Sara Ramaker, president of Death Row Pictures. The script, originally written by Joe Robert Cole, will receive additional revisions from Brewer. Universal Pictures is backing the project, which marks the first feature film under Death Row Pictures’ new deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios.
The film will chronicle Snoop Dogg’s journey from rising hip-hop star to cultural icon, with a focus on his early career under Death Row Records—the label that released his groundbreaking 1993 debut album Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre. The album spawned chart-topping hits like “What’s My Name?” and “Gin and Juice.”
Daviss, 25, has gained popularity not only from Outer Banks, which is set to conclude with its fifth season, but also for his role in Netflix’s Do Revenge.
Universal has a strong track record with music biopics, having previously found major box office and critical success with Straight Outta Compton and 8 Mile. The trend continues with recent hits like Bob Marley: One Love and the Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan film A Complete Unknown. Future releases in the genre include a Bruce Springsteen biopic set for this fall and Sony’s four-part Beatles saga scheduled for 2028.