Snoop Dogg to star in new Luc Besson movie
Snoop Dogg is set to return to the big screen with a role in director Luc Besson’s upcoming film. The Long Beach rapper has been cast in the sci-fi movie The Last Man, with filming set to begin in 2025.
The film, which will reportedly be similar to Besson’s 1997 movie The Fifth Element, is set to mix sci-fi, comedy, and action. Snoop will play the lead role. Snoop is also on board as a co-producer, and Besson will write the screenplay.
Snoop revealed working with Besson has been on his bucket list since watching the 1994 action-thriller Léon: The Professional, starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Danny Aiello. “Ever since I’ve seen The Professional, I’ve always wanted him to direct a whole movie for me,” he said in a statement to Variety. “Now we finally get the opportunity for him to write and direct me in a Luc Besson movie.”
Besson also spoke about his admiration for Snoop’s classic ‘Who Am I (What’s My Name)?’, which appeared on 1993’s Doggystyle album. The pair have known each other for two decades, but now the time is finally right to collaborate.
“I’ve been a big fan of Snoop Dogg’s music ever since ‘Who Am I,’” he said. “We first met 20 years ago, and we’ve always wanted to work together again. We just needed the right project that would excite us both — and this is it, with Snoop in the lead role. I can’t wait to get started!”
The news arrives after Snoop teased that he was working on a movie inspired by Planet of the Apes in November. “I can’t really give up the storyline, but I’m going to [share] the idea,” he said. “I love Planet of the Apes. [It] made me wait too long to see the next one. So I’m going to do something in that vein, where you don’t have to wait. But just imagine it was dogs instead of apes.”
Besson’s last film, Dogman, was released in 2023. As for Snoop, he had the lead role in The Underdoggs earlier this year, with the Prime Video movie also starring the likes of Mike Epps, Tika Sumpter and Andrew Schulz.