The Wrap is reporting that Universal has chosen Short Term 12 star Keith Stanfield to play Snoop Dogg in their upcoming N.W.A. flick, Straight Outta Compton. The F. Gary Gray-directed drama already has a cast that includes O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E), Aldis Hodge (MC Ren) and Neil Brown Jr. (DJ Yella) as N.W.A. members, and Paul Giamatti as the group’s manager, Jerry Heller.
Straight Outta Compton will be set in the mid-1980s and tells the story of the rise and fall of N.W.A., “five young men who translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority and gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. The film explores how they revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war.”
Though most may be unfamiliar with the rising star that is Keith Stanfield, he had a terrific turn in Short Term 12 for which he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination. He also snagged a role in the upcoming MLK pic Selma, and just wrapped Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis movie Miles Ahead. He’s clearly got a bright future ahead of him and taking on the role of Snoop Dogg in Universal’s high-profile project will definitely give his star even more of a boost.
Straight Outta Compton is currently set for an August 14th, 2015 release.