Snoop Dogg Takes the Stage at CinemaCon to Hype Upcoming Biopic Starring Jonathan Daviss

CinemaCon got an unexpected jolt of West Coast energy when Snoop Dogg stepped onstage to celebrate his upcoming biopic, joined by Jonathan Daviss, who’s set to play the hip-hop icon on the big screen.

The untitled film, will be directed by Craig Brewer, has been in the works for a while, but now it’s officially gearing up to roll cameras.

Snoop opened Universal Pictures’ presentation with an easygoing vibe, clearly excited about what’s coming. While fans hoping for major reveals might have to wait a bit longer, Snoop kept things real about where the project stands.

“I wish I could give you more details” on the project, Snoop said. But there were not many, yet. It starts filming in LA this summer. “We’ll be back at CinemaCon next year with a trailer,” he promised.

Snoop also treated the crowd to a quick live performance, running through snippets of classics like “Gin and Juice” and “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” backed by DJ Green Lantern. It was part preview, part celebration, and exactly the kind of moment you’d expect from a legend who knows how to work a room.

The film will track the rise of Calvin Broadus Jr., who became Snoop Doggy Dogg before eventually shortening the name to Snoop Dogg.

His debut album Doggystyle, created with Dr. Dre under Death Row Records in 1993, kicked off a career that has stretched across music, film, television, and beyond. From Grammy nominations to mainstream TV appearances on The Voice and even Olympic coverage with NBC, Snoop has built a career that goes way beyond rap.

Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, also joined him onstage and gave a hint at the film’s tone, describing it as “the spiritual cousin of Straight Outta Compton,” referencing the acclaimed 2015 biopic directed by F. Gary Gray.

Daviss, best known for playing Pope Heyward in Outer Banks, is stepping into a major spotlight with this role. He’s also appeared in Netflix’s Do Revenge alongside Sophie Turner, Maya Hawke, and Austin Abrams, as well as projects like Age of Summer and Edge of the World. Taking on a figure as iconic as Snoop is a big swing, but it is sure to be a breakout moment for him.

This biopic has actually been on the radar for a few years now. The project was first announced earlier in development as part of Snoop Dogg’s growing partnership with NBCUniversal, but updates had been pretty quiet until now.

At the time, it was positioned as a major step in bringing Snoop’s life story to the screen, with the intention of exploring his rise through the hip-hop world and his expansion into mainstream entertainment.

While things seemed to move slowly behind the scenes, this latest CinemaCon appearance confirms that the film is finally picking up real momentum and heading into production.

The film is being produced by Snoop Dogg along with Brian Grazer, with Death Row Pictures backing the project as part of its overall deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios.