50 Cent is stepping outside the drug and crime worlds of hit shows Power and BMF to create a historically based drama. The media mogul is set to executive produce Queen Nzinga, a scripted series based on the story of the legendary African warrior and leader in 17th century Angola.
According to the Starz, Nigerian-born actress Yetide Badaki will star as the fearless Queen Nzinga and serve as an executive producer. Mo Abudu will also executive produce alongside Steven S. DeKnight and 50 Cent.
“It has been a long held dream of mine to bring the story of Nzinga to the screen. Her courage, determination and passion resonated from the moment I laid eyes on historical depictions of the legendary queen,” said Badaki. “I am thrilled by Starz’s continued commitment to much needed stories about and by historically excluded voices and the deeply talented team being built to share this epic narrative with the world.”
50 Cent and Mo Adubu shared similar sentiments about the upcoming project.
“The continent of Africa has a treasure trove of stories that are yet to be told. Queen Nzinga is a story that I have wanted to tell for a long time, so when EbonyLife Studios finally found a home for this project at Starz and Lionsgate, it was a dream come true,” Adubu remarked.
She continued, “We are happy to be at the forefront of forging these new partnerships with such an incredible team of creatives, because it is truly about sharing our local stories with a global audience — stories that are historical, authentic, and progressive.”
50 Cent added, “As G-Unit Film & Television launches more premium, international productions, I couldn’t have found better partners than Mo, Yetide and Steven to help tell the incredible story of Queen Nzinga.”
Starz and Queen Nzinga are still in search of a showrunner. This news comes as the “I Get Money” rapper revealed plans to develop Snoop Dogg’s 1993 murder trial into a series on the network. Murder Was The Case will be the second installment in the A Moment In Time anthology series following season one which focused on the feud between 50 Cent and The Game.