Nigerian media mogul, Mo Abudu, has announced that EbonyLife TV and Universal Pictures have received the adaptation rights for a movie on Ramon Abass, also known as Ray Hushpuppi.
Abudu made this announcement via her verified Instagram on Thursday.
According to her, the production companies will make the movie on the International fraudster, based on a Bloomberg story, “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master.”
She wrote: “EbonyLife Studios is partnering with Will Packer Productions to develop an untitled project based on the Bloomberg article “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master” by Evan Ratliff.
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“When the Hushpuppi story made headlines last year, I pitched the story idea to @willpowerpacker and James Lopez. They bought the idea and as headlined in this press release, together we won the rights to the Bloomberg article by Evan Ratliff mentioned above. The rights were won after a highly contested derby by several producers and is now set up at Universal Pictures. The globetrotting action thriller project is said to be a hybrid of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and USUAL SUSPECTS.
“It’s a dream come true to be working with WIll Packer Productions and Universal Pictures on this project 😊😊😊
“Just as a refresher, Will Packer Productions and Universal Pictures need no introductions. WPP has released a number of blockbusters that include …… ‘‘Girls Trip”, “Think Like a Man Too”, “Ride Along”, “Think Like a Man”, “Takers”, “Obsessed”, “Breaking In” and “Stomp the Yard” and Universal Pictures with over a 100 years in the business of movie making in Hollywood, have produced some of the biggest titles in the world.
“I cannot contain my excitement.”
Furthermore, Abudu explained why they “choose to tell a story like this“, she said: “Firstly, there are many lessons to be learnt from good and bad stories.
“Secondly, if we do not tell this story, someone else will and to ensure that this story is told with authenticity, a Nigerian storyteller with our pedigree needs to be involved.
“Too often, these types of characters are one-dimensional and feed into the worst stereotypes.
“Hushpuppi’s story is based on a real person whose story is already partly known to the world but the film gives us a real chance to tell a cautionary tale about a character formed by his environment and life choices.
“The films of Martin Scorsese are a great example of a filmmaker telling richly layered stories of criminal characters from his heritage that we’ve all grown to love, without ever creating the impression that all Italian-Americans are members of the mafia. Needless to say, all Nigerians are not 419 scam artists.“
