Santa Monica, Calif. – – December 13, 2021 – STARZ announced today it is in development on “
A Moment in Time: Murder was the Case” (working title) executive produced by
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and
Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus. A search for a writer is underway on this second project put in development on the “A Moment in Time” seasonal anthology series that will explore the true stories in which iconic hip hop moments collided with the sensational and sometimes criminal events behind-the-scenes.
In 1993, Snoop Dogg, aka Calvin Broadus, was charged with first degree murder for the shooting of Philip Woldermariam, a member of a rival gang who was actually killed by Snoop’s bodyguard, McKinley Lee, aka Malik. Snoop’s trial was going on during the release of Snoop’s debut album, Doggy Style, on which the most popular single was the song “Murder was the Case.” The publicity of the case boosted sales to over 5 million albums, but the violent nature of “Murder was the Case” would go on to hurt Snoop’s case in his trial. Represented by defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, who repped OJ Simpson just theyear before, Snoop and his defense claimed that his bodyguard was the shooter and acted in self-defense. This season will pull back the curtain on this very publicized story and show what Snoop dealt with in front of and behind cameras.
“‘Murder was the Case’ is an incredible story. Snoop had the biggest album in the country and was fighting for his freedom in the courtroom,” said Curtis “50 Cent Jackson. “The only place to go on this incredible ride is with G-Unit Film & Television. I’m excited to be working with Snoop to bring it to television. #GLG 🚦”
Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus added, “I am excited to finally tell the story of ‘Murder was the Case.’ This was a pivotal moment in my life and career and I’ve deliberately waited until I found the right partner to bring this to the screen. #GLG 🚦You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge…”
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will executive produce through his G-Unit Film & Television alongside executive producers Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus, Shante Broadus and Sara Ramaker through Snoopadelic Films. Anthony Wilson will also serve as an executive producer on the series from Lionsgate Telvision in development for STARZ.
About Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Jackson has carved out a thriving television and film career as both a best in class producer and star. In 2005, he founded G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. which has produced a wide variety of content across numerous platforms and sold a myriad of shows to various networks. Among these is thecritically-acclaimed #1 show on Starz, “Power,” in which he not only co-starred in but also served as executive producer and director. In October 2018, Jackson and STARZ/Lionsgate closed an unprecedented deal for Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. The partnership, touted as among the most significant deals to date for an Executive Producer in premium television will focus on expansion of the “Power” universe, recently aired spin-offs ‘’Power Book II: Ghost’’ and “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” as well as the upcoming “Power Book IV: Force.” G-Unit Film & Television also produced the ABC hit, “For Life” and recently launched the first season of the widely anticipated series, “BMF” for STARZ which was immediately renewed for a second season. G-Unit is also in development on scripted series “Family Affair” ABC, “The 50th Law” Netflix, “Let Me Hear a Rhyme” Peacock, and “Angel’s Playbook,” “A Moment in Time,” and “The Case of Cyntoia Brown” at STARZ. It was announced in May 2021 that “Confessions of A Crime Queen” was a straight to series order on Discovery+. The company is also building out its feature slate, starting with a 3 picture Horror deal as a collaboration with Horror phenom Eli Roth and 3BlackDot.
About Snoop Dogg
Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Cordozar Broadus Jr. is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, DJ, media personality, and business mogul. As an award-winning artist, Snoop Dogg has released 19 studio albums, sold over 30-million albums worldwide, reached No. 1 countless times on Billboard charts internationally, and received 20 GRAMMY® nominations. With nearly three decades in the business, Snoop Dogg has dominated themusic industry, from his instrumental role in pioneering gangsta rap to his continued growth into other genres such as reggae and gospel. From Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Pharrell, Kanye West, and many others, Snoop has collaborated with the biggest names in the game and has worked as a producer and songwriter, lending his trademark sound and creativity to some artists’ greatest hits. Snoop Dogg released his 18th studio album, From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites, on April 20th.
In addition to his work as an artist, Snoop Dogg lends his talents as a media personality with appearances on radio, TV, and film. Snoop has appeared in numerous films such as, Dolemite Is My Name, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Beach Bum, Starsky & Hutch, Soul Plane, and the Oscar®-winning drama, Training Day, among others. He has also produced several films including, VICE’s Reincarnated, Mac & Devin Go to High School, and Hood Of Horror through his production company Snoopadelic Films. He also executive produced the acclaimed Netflix show Coach Snoop, GGN: Double G News and the TNT game show Joker’s Wild, which he also hosted. Snoop garnered his first Emmy® nomination as executive producer for the hit VH1 show, Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, which led to commercial success with the premiere lauded as the best launch for a new cable unscripted franchise for calendar 2016, averaging 1.9 million total viewers for its premiere episodes. Most recently, Snoop lent his voice as the role of “It” in the2019 remake The Addams Family and is currently serving as a mega mentor on The Voice.
Establishing himself as a venerated businessman, Snoop Dogg has made several investments and endorsements spanning the lifestyle, food/beverage, and cannabis industries working with top-tier brands including Beyond Meat, Bic, The General Insurance, Corona, and others. In November 2015, Snoop Dogg announced his new brand of cannabis products, Leafs By Snoop. Additionally, Snoop Dogg established a multi-year partnership with 19 Crimes to release a line of wines inspired by the convicts-turned-colonists who built Australia. And in 2020, Snoop Dogg launched his very own spirits brand with a strawberry-infused gin called Indoggo.
Additionally, Snoop founded the Snoop Youth Football League in 2005 with the idea of creating something to help LA kids get off the streets and provide them with an outlet. In the process, the Snoop Youth Football League has helped put more than 26 kids into the NFL. Players such as JuJu Smith-Schuster, John Ross, and Ronnie Hillman (the first to make it in 2012).
About STARZ
STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading global media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly-rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZ® service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. In 2018, STARZ launched its STARZPLAY international premium streaming platform to provide subscribers access to the “best of global SVOD.” STARZPLAY, coupled with its STARZPLAY ARABIA joint venture, has expanded its global footprint into more than 55 countries throughout Europe and Latin America along with Canada, Japan, India and Indonesia. STARZ and STARZPLAY are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company.
