Queen Latifah Biopic In Works As Part Of Hip Hop Pics Slate From Flavor Unit, Westbrook Studios & Jesse Collins Entertainment

EXCLUSIVE: Flavor Unit Entertainment, Westbrook Studios, and Jesse Collins Entertainment are teaming to produce a slate of Hip Hop biopics about iconic artists, the first of which will be about the rise of Queen Latifah.

Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere will produce on behalf of Flavor Unit Entertainment. Will Smith and Miguel Melendez will serve as producers for Westbrook Studios. Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon will produce for Jesse Collins Entertainment, the company that produced the music biopics, The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story. Charlie Mack will also serve as a producer on the project.

The slate will be independently financed by HarbourView Equity Partners which will provide a portfolio of over 70+ music catalogs that feature thousands of titles spanning numerous genres, eras, and artists for potential development opportunities.  

“We all came into this industry together and Hip Hop has shaped each and every one of us. Hip Hop’s impact has expanded beyond just music and has created a lasting impression on culture and society overall,” said Oscar nominee Queen Latifah and Compere of Flavor Unit Entertainment. “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.”

“When you bring talented people and teams together, you can create something truly special,” said Smith, “I’m thrilled to work alongside Flavor Unit, Jesse Collins Entertainment and HarbourView, to highlight the incredible stories of some of our favorite artists and icons. There’s no better story to start with than the one of Queen Latifah, an undisputed legend who has both entertained and inspired us for so many years.”

“We cannot be more excited to stand alongside our friends at HarbourView, Flavor Unit and Westbrook,” said Collins. “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.”

“As a girl from Queens, Hip-Hop fundamentally shaped who I am. Music and storytelling was my passport to destinations both familiar and untraveled,” said Sherrese Clarke Soares, Founder & CEO of HarbourView. “It is an honor to partner with Flavor Unit, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and Westbrook to tell these stories and document Queen Latifah’s journey and her undeniable impact on the world.”

“On behalf of Westbrook, we are thrilled to have brought together such incredible partners in Jesse Collins Entertainment and Flavor Unit Entertainment to produce some truly exciting hip hop biopics,” said Denise Bailey-Castro, CFO, Westbrook Inc. “This unique partnership, with support from HarbourView, will allow us to combine our resources and best-in-class production capabilities to tell the culture-defining stories of these hip hop, legends in a premium way.”

Additional details about the Queen Latifah film and other projects will be announced in the near future.