Hollywood’s Will Packer Productions and Nollywood’s Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Studios are teaming to develop an untitled project based on Evan Ratliff’s Bloomberg article, “ The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master .”
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the companies won the rights in a highly competitive situation and have set up the project at Universal Pictures.
The story of Hushpuppi’s fraud case is set to be told in a Hollywood action film; its creators contend that the story is worth telling.
Recall that five gang members, including Hushpuppi, were arrested for allegedly defrauding and laundering funds meant for building a school in Qatar.
Mo Abudu in a lengthy social media post explained that when Hushpuppi’s story made headlines last year, she pitched the story idea to Will Power-Packer and James Lopez, and they bought the idea.
Abudu said it is a dream come true as she has looked forward to working with Will Packer production and Universal Pictures on the project.
According to the owner of EbonyLife, there are many lessons to be learned from good or bad stories, and if they do not tell the story, someone else will and ensure the story is told with authenticity.
She added that Hushpuppi’s story is based on a real person whose story is already partly known to the world, but the film gives them a real chance to tell a cautionary tale about a character formed by his environment and life choices.
Mo Abudu shared;
”Hello beautiful people, I HAVE SOME BREAKING NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU!!!
EbonyLife Studios is partnering with Will Packer Productions to develop an untitled project based on the Bloomberg article “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master” by Evan Ratliff.
”When the Hushpuppi story made headlines last year, I pitched the story idea to @willpowerpacker and James Lopez. They bought the idea and as headlined in this press release, together we won the rights to the Bloomberg article by Evan Ratliff mentioned above.
The rights were won after a highly contested derby by several producers and is now set up at Universal Pictures. The globetrotting action thriller project is said to be a hybrid of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and USUAL SUSPECTS. It’s a dream come true to be working with WIll Packer Productions and Universal Pictures on this project
”Just as a refresher, Will Packer Productions and Universal Pictures need no introductions. WPP has released a number of blockbusters that include …… ‘‘Girls Trip”, “Think Like a Man Too”, “Ride Along”, “Think Like a Man”, “Takers”, “Obsessed”, “Breaking In” and “Stomp the Yard” and Universal Pictures with over a 100 years in the business of movie making in Hollywood, have produced some of the biggest titles in the world. I cannot contain my excitement
”Further to the announcement just made about our partnership with Will Packer Productions and Universal Pictures, some of you might ask, why do we choose to tell a story like this?
Firstly, there are many lessons to be learnt from good and bad stories.
Secondly if we do not tell this story, someone else will and to ensure that this story is told with authenticity, a Nigerian storyteller with our pedigree needs to be involved.
Too often, these types of characters are one-dimensional and feed into the worst stereotypes.
Hushpuppi’s story is based on a real person whose story is already partly known to the world but the film gives us a real chance to tell a cautionary tale about a character formed by his environment and life choices.
The films of Martin Scorsese are a great example of a filmmaker telling richly layered stories of criminal characters from his heritage that we’ve all grown to love, without ever creating the impression that all Italian-Americans are members of the mafia. Needless to say, all Nigerians are not 419 scam artists.”
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