Elphaba is heading to Death Row. Cynthia Erivo has signed on to play Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mother, in Snoop, the Universal biopic about Snoop Dogg’s rise. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the casting on Nov. 4 and described it only as a key role.
That’s a heavy part to hand anyone. Afeni Shakur was a Black Panther Party member who later fought hard to protect her son’s legacy before her death in 2016.
Her story has already surfaced on screen, but placing her inside a Snoop film signals how central the Tupac relationship will be.
Erivo is no stranger to playing real women with real weight. She portrayed Harriet Tubman in Harriet and Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha before taking on Elphaba in 2024’s Wicked and its 2025 sequel, Wicked: For Good. She holds a Tony, a Grammy and an Emmy, and she’s been working in film and TV for over 15 years.
The cast around her is stacked with names hip hop fans will clock right away. Camron Jones from Panic plays Tupac, Lauren London plays Snoop’s late mother, and Algee Smith from Euphoria steps in as Warren G. Myles Bullock from BMF is Dr. Dre, while rapper G Perico plays Snoop’s early mentor Big Reecie Cup.
The most intriguing pick might be SwayvoTwain as The Notorious B.I.G. He’s a rapper and the son of the late D’Angelo and the late Angie Stone, which gives the casting a layer of real music lineage. Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss takes the lead as Snoop himself.
Snoop has been vocal about backing Daviss. “Jonathan is the whole thing,” he told Entertainment Tonight in June 2025. “He’s a dynamic actor. He’s a great spirit and he’s a learner. He’s able to take things and make it better.”
Not everyone is keeping things under wraps either. Ice-T let it slip on X last month that he’s in the film, writing, “I’m in LA to film in Snoop Dogg’s movie. I don’t know if I was supposed to say that… But I said it.” He didn’t say who he’s playing.
Behind the camera, the pedigree is just as loaded. Brian Grazer, who produced 8 Mile, is producing, and Craig Brewer, the director behind Hustle & Flow, is calling the shots.
It’s also the first film under Death Row Pictures’ deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment, a big step for the brand Snoop took ownership of back in 2022.
Some fans will wonder how the film handles the Tupac and Biggie chapter, given how many times that story has been told and retold.
Others are simply curious to see Snoop’s own version of an era he lived through firsthand, including his work with Pac on “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.”
Principal photography is underway now, and the release date is locked for Aug. 6, 2027. With Ice-T’s role still a mystery, more surprise names could surface before the cameras stop rolling.
