Kid Cudi announced “Jean,” a film he wrote about Jean-Michel Basquiat and plans to direct and star in. He said he planned to start filming in 2027.
The rapper shared the news on October 21, along with an early wardrobe test. He said people had asked him for years about playing the New York artist, but none of those projects had come together. This year, he wrote one himself. Cudi’s plan would add to a screen history that includes Julian Schnabel’s 1996 feature “Basquiat,” with Jeffrey Wright in the lead and David Bowie among its cast. The estate described that film as a mix of fact and fiction about Basquiat’s rise in New York’s art world.
The new role brings a real-life subject to Cudi’s run behind the camera. He unveiled his first film as a director, “Doe,” earlier this year. That project was announced as a drama about addiction and survival, with a cast that included Mark Webber, Leah McNamara, Brandon Scott and Brandon Perea. He followed that announcement with “Wrong Number,” a horror film from his own script that cast him opposite Barbie Ferreira. Its story follows a self-help author whose new romance leads to stalking and a string of murders.
Cudi described the role as an honour, mentioning Basquiat’s influence on his own work throughout his career. Cudi made his aim clear: “This film will be a love letter to Jean, the 80s and NY city.”
