Queen Latifah Biopic In The Works From Will Smith

by · Forbes
TOPSHOT - US rapper Queen Latifah arrives to attend the annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Cannes Gala ... [+] at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d'Antibes, southern France, on the sidelines of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, on May 25, 2023. (Photo by Stefano Rellandini / AFP) (Photo by STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images

Queen Latifah and her Flavor Unit Entertainment partner Shakim Compere will produce a biopic based on the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning star's life and career. The project is part of an agreement with Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Jesse Collins Entertainment to produce a number of biopics based on the lives and careers of hip hop artists.

“We all came into this industry together and hip hop has shaped each and every one of us,” said Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere in statement announcing the project 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.”

Born Dana Elaine Owens on March 18, 1970, Queen Latifah began beat boxing for the hip hop group Ladies Fresh and she was an original member of the Flavor Unit, which was a crew of emcees and DJs from New York City and Northern New Jersey.

Queen Latifah released her debut album All Hail the Queen at the age of 19 in 1989. She starred in the Fox sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998. Her portrayal of Matron "Mama" Morton in the musical film Chicago in 2002 resulted in an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her roster of other films includes Bringing Down the House (2003), Taxi (2004), Beauty Shop (2005), Hairspray (2007), 22 Jump Street (2014), and Girls Trip (2017). She headlined the Emmy Award winning HBO film Bessie in 2015 as blues singer Bessie Smith. And Queen Latifah currently stars in the reboot of the crime solver The Equalizer on CBS.

American rapper and actress Queen Latifah, American actress Kim Fields, American actress Erika ... [+] Alexander, and American actress and comedian Kim Coles attend a Fox Television event for their sitcom 'Living Single', 1993. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)Getty Images

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EAST RUTHERFORD: Judgment Day McCall endeavors to help an escaped prisoner wrongly accused of ... [+] murder who is too distrustful of the justice system that failed him to accept her aid. Also, McCall worries when her daughter, Delilah, stops hanging out with a close friend, and Detective Dantes search for McCall takes an unexpected turn, on THE EQUALIZER, Sunday, Feb. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall (Photo by Barbara Nitke/CBS via Getty Images)CBS via Getty Images

Will Smith and Miguel Melendez will produce the movie 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.

“Queen Latifah’s story is one of triumph that needs to be shared with the world. Joining forces with such amazing people to educate and inspire through storytelling is just the beginning of the impact this partnership will have," Entertainment CEO Jesse Collins said in a statement.

No casting information or specifics about the Queen Latifah biopic were available at press time.