Oh I can definitely see this one! Actor Michael K. Williams, known best for his role as Omar in “The Wire,” is set to play late rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard in an upcoming movie. The flick, “Dirty White Boy,” is based on a true story of a 22 year old that went from VH1 intern to manager. Details below.
Parts & Labor’s Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy — the producing duo behind Mike Mills’ Oscar-winning film Beginners which won Christopher Plummer his first Academy Award last month — announced today that they are partnering with Todd Hagopian at Ocean Size Pictures, to produce DIRTY WHITE BOY. Michael K. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) is set to star as the late hip-hop artist Ol’ Dirty Bastard (real name: Russell Jones). Joaquin Baca-Asay is making his feature directorial debut of this original screenplay by Brent Hoff. Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur´s K5 International is financing the film and handling all worldwide sales.
Based on a true story, DIRTY WHITE BOY chronicles the astounding rise of Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1-intern-turned-manager, and his misadventures with the legendary rapper leading up to the performer’s tragic death in 2004.
The project originated with Hagopian’s Ocean Size Pictures with the full support and co-operation of Weisfeld as well as Jones’ mother, Cherry Jones.
“We both knew full well who Ol’ Dirty Bastard was but this story completely floored us. As filmmakers, we knew that this would make a great film and that Jarred Weisfeld would offer an actor a complicated and compelling character to play,†said Knudsen and Van Hoy. “This felt to us like Risky Business and 8 Mile, with equal elements of darkness, humor, and humanity.
We are thrilled to have the genius of Joaquin Baca-Asay behind the camera, directing this incredibly original screenplay by Brent Hoff,†said Hagopian, “I know Michael K. Williams will leave audiences completely in awe as Russell Jones, the man behind the character ‘Ol’ Dirty Bastard.’â€
