Disney turns Ice Cube’s gritty South Central project into something more family friendly

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

For my money, Ice Cube was one of the best rappers…probably ever. (If we’re keeping track, it’s something like Cube, Biggie, Jay-Z, Kanye, Rakim, Chuck D in no particular order.) But then he decided he was done with the rap game and after a failed attempt and reinventing himself as an action here (XXX2 anyone?), he segued into family films and found some surprising success. But Cube has been talking about returning to his roots in the hood, with a gritty, South Central drama titled CHROME AND PAINT. But then Disney got involved.

Disney is in talks to finance and distribute the film, once meant to be a spiritual successor to BOYZ N THE HOOD, and has taken the hardcore tale and turned it into a PG-13 film. The story follows the South Central subculture of tricked out cars. But Cube had a meeting with Disney and the studio sparked interest in the film and now it’s described as being more SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and AMERICAN GRAFFITI.

To note, Universal had interest in the project as well but was already developing LOW RIDER, a similarly themed film, and decided to pass on the Cube project. Cube is currently getting set to star in 21 JUMP STREET while his writing partner Eva Vives works on the script in the Disney Writing Fellowship Program.

So what do you think about this news? Is this Cube selling out or just a guy trying to make a dollar? Should Cube have any allegiance to his gangsta past?