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Raekwon wanted to make a Wu-Tang movie after the success of Straight Outta Compton. Here’s why it never happened.
In an excerpt from his recent memoir, Raekwon explains why a movie never took place. RZA was working on efforts to launch a scripted project of Wu-Tang as a multi-season television series. Raekwon wanted to emulate NWA’s success with Straight Outta Compton. Raekwon even reveals that he has requested support for the potential major film. Here is a brief excerpt from the brief.
“To me, a TV series sounded crazy, but I was driven to see our story on the big screen. When the NWA movie Straight Outta Compton came out and was a huge success in every way, discussions started to circulate about our story being told in this format, ”writes Raekwon.
“For years people called us the East Coast NWA. the series was the best way forward. RZA, in turn, convinced some of the guys to do it and told the others that they don’t have to be involved if they don’t want to.
“I was against the deal because I didn’t like the conditions, the money, none of that,” Raekwon continues. “I kept telling RZA to watch Straight Outta Compton, which grossed $ 200 million worldwide and was the highest grossing black director film in history. It didn’t make sense to me to sell our story for a TV series where no one walked away with real money. “
Raekwon says he contacted Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, who knew Leonardo DiCaprio.
“The next time Leo came by, Tip and I met Leo and his then-girlfriend in Brooklyn at an old Mafia-looking pizza place near Sunset Park. We started talking about the possibility of a Wu-Tang movie and I told Leo I would love to see him play a part in it – whatever he wanted to do.
“He was super open to the idea, and after that meal he asked the management of his production company to contact me. We took it to the next level with them. They were very interested, so we got the ball rolling, talking about real numbers, with the goal of an even bigger exit than Straight Outta Compton.
RZA put the kibosh on the potential Wu-Tang movie deal with Leonardo DiCaprio. RZA cared about a TV series no matter what the other guys wanted to do.
