Will Smith Jumps on Board for Longtime Friend Queen Latifah’s Biopic Project

Published 09/22/2024, 1:03 AM EDT

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Will Smith has officially made his comeback in the industry, and he is not taking a moment to catch his breath. From blockbuster movies to fresh music after decades, Smith is making the most of his talents after a year packed with exhausting controversies. Recently, fresh off his success with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the actor is teaming up with his oldest friend in the industry, Queen Latifah, with whom he first shared the screen on his ’90s sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Together, Will Smith and Queen Latifah are bringing the latter's (aka Dana Elaine Owens) biopic to life.

Will Smith collaborates with old friend Queen Latifah after years

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Will Smith is diving into another of his producing ventures with Westbrook Studios. This time, he is producing the Oscar-nominee Queen Latifah’s biopic, according to a report from Deadline. It will be the first music biopic produced by Smith’s company. Along with Westbrook, Jesse Collins Entertainment is also behind the project, which will be independently financed through HarbourView Equity Partners.

Queen Latifah is also on board as a producer, with Shakim Compere representing Flavor Unit Entertainment. In a statement, Will Smith shared that he is “thrilled to work” on the project and alongside his producing partners. Calling Latifah “an undisputed legend,” Smith emphasized there is no better music biopic to kick off their slate of incredible stories about hip-hop icons. However, few people know that Queen Latifah owes quite a bit to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith for helping her early in her career.

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In fact, it was the Smiths who helped Queen Latifah get heustry after they recognized her talent. 

Queen Latifah's friendship with the Smiths

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It all began when Jada Pinkett Smith spotted a 16-year-old Queen Latifah performing in a club and instantly became a fan of her talent. The two have been close friends ever since. But it was after Will Smith came into the picture that both their lives took a turn. Will gave Latifah her first acting gig as a guest star on his hit sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, even before he started dating his now-wife.

This opportunity became a game-changer in Latifah’s acting career, as she had no experience before. “Will and Jada have been there my entire career,” Latifah told PEOPLE in an interview. It is also said that Latifah was the first to hear about all the separation drama between the Smiths. With that, it is safe to say both Will and Jada Pinkett Smith will have significant roles in the upcoming Queen Latifah biopic.

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What do you think about Will Smith producing Queen Latifah’s biopic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hriddhi Maitra

1681 articles

Hriddhi Maitra is a Hollywood News reporter at Netflix Junkie. An enthusiastic movie buff, Hriddhi found her true calling when she worked as a Cinema Content Writer at My Cinema Story while analyzing movies objectively, and offering constructive feedback. Coming from a background where she worked in different niches like finance, food, travel, medicines, automobile, and entertainment, we can safely say she is a jack of all trades.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

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