Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss will portray Snoop Dogg in Universal’s upcoming biopic directed by Craig Brewer and produced by Death Row Pictures.
Snoop Dogg is heading to the big screen—and Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss is stepping into the role of the iconic rapper.
Universal Pictures has officially cast the 25-year-old actor, best known for playing Pope Heyward on Netflix’s Outer Banks, as Snoop Dogg in the highly anticipated biopic chronicling the hip-hop legend’s rise to fame. The film will be directed by Craig Brewer, known for Hustle & Flow and Coming 2 America. Brewer is currently revising the original script, which was previously written by Joe Robert Cole.
The project marks the first production under the new overall deal between Death Row Pictures and NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios, with the film being produced by Snoop Dogg himself, alongside Brian Grazer and Death Row Pictures president Sara Ramaker. Oversight for the project at Universal is being handled by Ryan Jones, senior vice president of production development.
Daviss is no stranger to streaming success. Alongside his breakout role in Outer Banks, which will return for a fifth and final season, he also appeared in Netflix’s dark comedy feature Do Revenge. Now, he’s preparing to take on the larger-than-life persona of Snoop Dogg—real name Calvin Broadus Jr.—in a movie that promises to capture the twists and turns of a groundbreaking music career.
Snoop Dogg is a 17-time Grammy-nominated artist whose 1993 debut album Doggystyle—produced entirely by Dr. Dre—launched him into superstardom with hits like “What’s My Name?” and “Gin and Juice.” Beyond his music, the Long Beach native has become a staple in pop culture through his work in film, TV, and business.
The upcoming biopic joins a wave of recent music-driven Hollywood hits, following the success of Bob Marley: One Love and A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan-focused film that earned eight Oscar nominations. The genre is booming, with Sony’s four-part Beatles project slated for a 2028 theatrical debut and a Bruce Springsteen biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere, arriving this fall.
With Jonathan Daviss taking on the role of a West Coast legend and Craig Brewer at the helm, Universal’s Snoop Dogg biopic is already shaping up to be a must-watch celebration of one of hip-hop’s most enduring figures.
