Chance the Rapper might have to rethink his stage name as he continues to add more strings to his bow. This year has seen the 25-year-old venture into TV and film and now it’s reported that he’s developing a film of his own called Hope.
According to Deadline, the project has been described as a musical feature and is currently being developed by MGM, the studios that brought us The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, and West Side Story. The film synopsis says the plot “follows a group of Chicago teenagers that band together to turn art into action within their community.”
The soundtrack is in very safe hands as Chance has called on his frequent musical collaborator Donnie Trumpet to oversee the score. Joining him is Carlito Rodriguez to write the script whose credits include the addictive hip hop drama Empire, and production from Scott Bernstein who worked on Straight Outta Compton.
It marks yet another venture in on-screen projects as the Chicago rapper recently starred as a delivery boy at a pizza joint that was built on a gateway to hell in Slice. He also won an Emmy for a Saturday Night Live sketch this year after being nominated for an Emmy the year before.
Let’s hope this maintains the hip hopera wave pioneered by the likes of Empire, Power, Carmen and, more unfortunately, R Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet.