Twenty-two years after DJ Screw’s death, Columbia Pictures is developing a biopic about the Screwed Up Click leader, who in the ‘90s made a name for himself in the Houston hip-hop scene by selling mixtapes and mastering his lean-inspired sound.
And now none other than Travis Scott has come on as a producer.
Deadline reports Columbia Pictures, which will produce the film under the leadership of Vice President Maia Eyre, has enlisted Scott and director Issace Yowman to serve as executive producers on the project.
“Continuing the legacy of my brother is most important,” DJ Screw’s sister Michelle Wheeler told Deadline. “The process honestly has been exciting. I’m like wow, we’re really about to make a movie. Nearly a dozen film directors and producers had approached us over the years, but this was the first time I actually felt fully comfortable. I’m very thankful for Sony and Travis being on this journey with us, helping keep my brother Screw’s legacy going.”
Yowman explained how he and Scott joined forces to produce the film.
“When I went up to the LA office with my bro Earl, and the entire Cactus Jack team was there,” he said. “Trav and I talked over an hour about how epic this could be… bouncing ideas. The love for Screw was mutual, and he told me I had his full support. We’re both raised in Mo. City so this means that much more to have him be a part.”
Yowman continued, “There’s been so much work done over the last year. The studio and I, alongside Travis’s team, have been connecting with writers — identifying the best way to tell this story on paper. Screw is a music icon, in the South he’s like a God, so there’s a level of delicacy when tapping into his story. That noted, I’m grateful as hell to have his sister Michelle and brother Charles in my corner as a support system. I don’t know everything, and there’s so much information out there, so being able to talk to legends like Lil’ Keke, Bun B and D-Reck and get unbiased perspectives has been helpful with me navigating through the process.”