- 50 Cent recently announced via his Instagram that he is interested in producing a biopic of Hushpuppi.
- Mo Abudu had also announced in August 2021, that she attained the movie rights to Bloomberg’s article, “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master.”
- All things considered, we could be getting two film projects on Hushpuppi’s life.
Despite his criminal record, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has somehow maintained a flair for amusement.
On the 4th of November, 2022, Hushpuppi was sentenced to 11 years in prison, which yet again, put the internet fraudster in the spotlight. Read the story here.
Since his arrest on June 20th, 2020, Hushpuppi’s name has appeared in numerous headlines, one of which was the rights to his story acquired by Mo Abudu.
Mo Abudu is the founder and CEO of EbonyLife Studios, a highly niched movie production company that lays heavy emphasis on costumes and theatrics.
Garnering the notoriety that Hushpuppi did, a rundown of his life on the silver screen promises to expose the nuances behind one of Nigeria’s most parasitic practices. It is a film that has the potential to spark conversations on the subject and highlight the dangers of internet fraud to a generation of Nigerians embracing scamming as an alternative to wealth creation.
Given Mo Abudu’s track record of highlighting the flamboyance of a very tiny denomination of Nigerians, rather than the overarching Nigerian struggle, it’s hard to confidently say that EbonyLife is the right studio for this film.
A counterargument could be the fact that EbonyLife’s ability to accentuate the life of Nigeria’s rich and powerful could come in handy when depicting Hushpuppi’s pomposity and extravagance.
Also, EbonyLife would be partnering with the American movie production company, Will Packer productions, and its quota for the project’s screenplay is uncertain.
There is also an example of EbonyLife deviating from its familiar niche, with Oloture.
While Ebonylife Productions primarily centre on films that may appear ostentatious, the movie Oloture was the exception, proving that a brand insistent on representing the lifestyle of the 1% to 99% of everyone else, can be involved in a project that is gritty, dark, and genuine.
With Oloture, at least Mo Abudu has one sample size that her production outfit could relay Hushpuppi’s story in a way that would create a dialogue surrounding the subject of internet fraud in Nigeria.
Subsequently, it was gathered today, via social media, that popular American rapper Curtis Jackson, known by the moniker, 50Cent, is also really interested in telling Hushpuppi’s story.
He posted some pictures of Hushpuppi on his IG page with the caption; “For my scammers I gotta do this one, Hushpuppy series coming soon! GLG, Green Light Gang I don’t miss. #Bransoncognac #lecheminduroi #gunitfilmandtv.”
While no official statement has been released yet, it does seem very likely that 50Cent would end up producing a TV series portraying the life of Ramon Abbas.
It would be interesting to see G-Unit Film and TV (50Cent’s production company)collaborating with EbonyLife studios, to create a single project, but this seems highly unlikely.
Mo Abudu, back in August 2021 when she first announced that she would be producing a Hushpuppi movie, also announced that she would be partnering with Will Packer Productions, a production company responsible for popular movies like Girls Trip and Night School.
Also, Mo Abudu’s rendition of Hushpuppi’s story would be based on a Bloomberg article, “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master,” while it remains unclear where 50 Cent would be getting his source material.
In contrast with EbonyLife’s style of entertainment, G-Unit Film and TV is far more daring with the type of content it puts out.
The production outfit has a rich history of delving into films that touch on gritty subjects like crime and agony.
Just to mention a few, G-Unit Film and TV has been involved with projects like the hit TV series, Power, the action film Blood Out, and the audacious crime-thriller, Black Mafia Family.
Given his history with crime stories and an actual involvement in criminal activities himself, before finding a better path in rap, 50Cent seems like the right person to tell the story. However, a gaping and evident cultural barrier may jeopardize his ability to do justice to the story.
On the other hand, cultural barriers are the least of Mo Abudu’s problems, seeing as she has some understanding of what it means to be Nigerian, but given that crime is not necessarily her strong suit, the Hushpuppi story may also be in jeopardy with EbonyLife studios.
Regardless, the sky is big enough for every bird, and it would be highly interesting to see both 50 Cent and Mo Abudu’s individual on-screen depictions of Hushpuppi, or a collaboration. Either way, both announcements should excite true story enthusiasts.
Pulse
