Dana Elaine Owens, better known by her stage name, Queen Latifah, is set to bring her life story to the silver screen with an upcoming biopic.
The big news was dropped in a recent post on Instagram by HarbourView Equity Partners (a global investment firm that focuses on the media, sports and entertainment industries), led by Sherrese Clarke Soares. The film marks the beginning of what promises to be an incredible series of biopics that showcase the lives and talents of influential hip-hop artists, along with the collaboration of a powerful group of production teams to bring these projects to life.
Under HarbourView’s tutelage, Latifah, an Oscar nominee, Grammy, and Emmy winner, will team up with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and her Flavor Unit Entertainment partner, Shakim Compere, to produce the upcoming full-length film, per Variety. The project will also involve Jesse Collins Entertainment, known for its work on biographical films like The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story.
“We all came into this industry together and Hip Hop has shaped each and every one of us,” said Latifah and Compere in a statement announcing the venture and the partnership. “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.”
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
While news of Latifah’s biopic is exciting, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering that in her 2022 Variety Power of Women cover story, she hinted at her interest in bringing her story to the big screen. “I have some projects in the works,” she coyly mentioned. “But I need to divide them into different endeavors. There are countless stories waiting to be told.”
Latifah, a native of Newark, N.J., has had a tremendously successful career in the entertainment industry spanning over three decades. Her line of work took off in 1989 with the release of her debut rap album, All Hail the Queen, propelling her to stardom and establishing her as one of the pioneering female rappers who reshaped the genre with a conscious voice on Black feminism and body positivity. In 1991, she made her foray into acting, appearing in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever and House Party 2, but it was her portrayal of Cleopatra “Cleo” Sims in the 1996 cult classic film Set It Off and her role as Khadijah James in the popular sitcom Living Single (1993-1998) that solidified her status as a star extending beyond the rap community. She has released a total of seven studio albums, one of which even saw her venture into the realm of jazz, demonstrating her remarkable versatility as an artist. Since 2021, she has been captivating audiences on CBS’ The Equalizer.
Neither Latifah or Will Smith are strangers to biopics. Latifah took on the role of renowned jazz singer Bessie Smith in HBO’s Bessie. Smith, on the other hand, has taken on the roles of Muhammad Ali in Ali (2001) and Chris Gardener in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Their extensive experience in biographical films are prime examples of their ingenuity and skill in bringing real-life characters to the big screen.
“When you bring talented people and teams together, you can create something truly special,” Smith told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I’m thrilled to work alongside Flavor Unit, Jesse Collins Entertainment and HarbourView, to highlight the incredible stories of some of our favorite artists and icons. There’s no better story to start with than the one of Queen Latifah, an undisputed legend who has both entertained and inspired us for so many years.”
We’ll give you more info as soon as it becomes available. Stay tuned!
