Cynthia Erivo has joined the cast of Snoop, Universal Pictures’ biopic about Snoop Dogg. She will play Afeni Shakur, the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur and a former Black Panther activist whose relationship with her son was strained. Afeni Shakur was also the subject of Tupac’s hit song “Dear Mama.”
The film is directed by Craig Brewer and is currently in production in Southern California. Jonathan Daviss plays Snoop Dogg, while Camron Jones portrays Tupac Shakur. The cast also includes Myles Bullock, Lauren London, Algee Smith, Tre Hale, Laya DeLeon Hayes, Olly Sholotan, Corey Champagne, Jonica Booth and SwayvoTwain.
Brian Grazer and Allan Mandelbaum are producing for Imagine Entertainment, alongside Snoop Dogg and Sara Ramaker, president of Death Row Pictures. Brewer wrote the latest draft of the screenplay, which was initially written by Joe Robert Cole. The film will feature music from Snoop Dogg’s catalog.
Erivo, a Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner and a three-time Oscar nominee, previously starred as Elphaba in Universal’s two-part Wicked films. Her performance in the first film earned her nominations for the Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, NAACP, BAFTA and Academy Awards.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.