Kid Cudi to Write, Direct & Star as Basquiat in 'Jean' — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Kid Cudi announced on social media that he will write, direct, and star as Jean-Michel Basquiat in the film Jean, posting wardrobe test images of himself in character
- Cudi said the film begins shooting in 2027 and called writing it a "challenge," citing "a lot of research, books, talks with people that knew him"
- Cudi framed Jean as "a love letter to Jean, the 80s and NY city," adding that Basquiat "has inspired me all through out my career"
- Cudi has built an acting resume with roles in Ti West's X, Pearl, and MaXXXine, plus appearances in House Party and Bill & Ted Face the Music
- Cudi is already in post on his feature directorial debut Doe, which began production in Los Angeles earlier this year, and will direct the horror thriller Wrong Number opposite Barbie Ferreira
- The Collaboration, a prior Basquiat biopic adapted from a 2022 stage play and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah with Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol and Jeremy Pop as Basquiat, remains without a release date
Why it matters: Cudi told fans he waited years for a Basquiat project that never materialized before deciding to write it himself — meaning the artist will now be portrayed by a director who has never helmed a theatrical feature, with a 2027 start date. The overlap with the stalled *The Collaboration* leaves Basquiat fans with two projects in various stages of limbo rather than one definitive film.
Ask SkimNews
