Universal Pictures has tapped “Hustle & Flow” filmmaker Craig Brewer to direct its upcoming biopic on rap icon Snoop Dogg. The currently untitled film will chronicle the hip-hop legend’s rise to fame and is the first project under Death Row Pictures’ deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios.

Brewer, also known for “Dolemite Is My Name”, is revising the existing script written by “Black Panther” co-writer Joe Robert Cole. Casting details and a release date have yet to be announced.

According to Variety, the film is being produced by Snoop Dogg himself, alongside Brian Grazer and Death Row Pictures president Sara Ramaker. Universal’s senior vice-president of production development, Ryan Jones, is overseeing the project for the studio.

This marks a continuation of Snoop Dogg’s collaboration with NBCUniversal. The rapper is set to return as a coach for season 28 of NBC’s “The Voice” this autumn and also participated in NBC and Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

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Snoop Dogg, a 17-time Grammy nominee, first burst onto the scene in 1993 with his debut album “Doggystyle”, released under Death Row Records. The album, produced solely by Dr Dre, featured hit singles such as “What’s My Name?” and “Gin and Juice”.

Universal has a track record of successful music biopics, including 2015’s “Straight Outta Compton”, which grossed over $200 million worldwide and featured LaKeith Stanfield as Snoop. The studio also released the Oscar-winning “8 Mile” in 2002, starring Eminem in a role that mirrored his own life.

Music biopics continue to perform strongly at the box office, with recent hits like “Bob Marley: One Love” and the Dylan-centred “A Complete Unknown”, which earned eight Oscar nominations.

Upcoming projects include a Bruce Springsteen biopic and a four-film Beatles project set for release in 2028.