Lately Kid Cudi has been getting into doing more movies in front and behind the camera. For his latest endeavor, he intends to do both. On Instagram, Cudi announced a new project coming in 2027, the biopic, Jean, which he’s writing, directing, and starring in. The film will chronicle the rise and tragic fall of the radiant child Jean-Michel Basquiat, one of the most important contemporary artists.
Videos by According2HipHop
“For years people have asked me about playing Jean Michel Basquiat in a film. But no project actually came to be. This year, I finally said f*** it, ima write it myself. Did a wardrobe test, got a wig made (this isnt the final just a rough, trust me we gon get it perfect). But I wanted to tease what we been cooking a bit. This one im so proud of and excited about. To write a film about someone who existed was a challenge, but it was a welcomed one. A lot of research, books, talks with people that knew him. This film will be a love letter to Jean, the 80s and NY city. Jean has inspired me all through out my career, and it will be the biggest honor to tell his story in a way we haven’t seen before. I know a lot of yall gon be like FINALLY hahaha I love it. This ones for all those dreamers out there”
Cudi’s attempt to define Basquiat isn’t the first attempt. In 1996, fellow painter Julian Schnabel made his directorial debut with his own lightly fictionalized biopic, Basquiat, which has received high praise and mixed reviews due to Schnabel’s portrayal of himself, and the stretching of the truth in the film.
In 2010, director Tamara Davis made a documentary about Basquiat’s life. Now, Cudi will attempt to tell the story of the man he admires.
Cudi made the announcement in a post on Instagram Wednesday (Oct. 21), where he shared that people have been asking him to play the role of the Neo-Expressionist painter, but no films materialized. Cudi decided to take the project into his own hands.
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) October 21, 2026
"JEAN. Written, directed and… pic.twitter.com/ybiil4RuGf
Cudi Is Directing More Films, Supposedly
Cudi will be busy with film in 2027.
The Ohio rapper, who’s already tackled acting (X, Comedy Bang Bang, How To Make It In America), and animation (Entergalactic), expressed excitement over his reported new project.
“My directorial debut DOE is coming and I couldn’t be more hyped,” Cudi posted. “We just wrapped and I feel so blessed to have worked with such a talented group of people that will be in my life forever. DOE is a story that hits close to home. A powerful story of redemption and faith. Stay tuned y’all, this one is very special.”
Deadline reports that the film will star Cudi alongside several notable actors. Mark Webber (Flesh and Blood), Leah McNamara (Normal People), Brandon Scott (Dead to Me), and Brandon Perea (Nope) will also star.
The film will reportedly explore themes of addiction and survival through the lens of a man living on the streets of Hollywood who, in one day, drifts through a series of encounters that pull him in and out of the cycles of his compulsion.
However, Cudi has teased films that have never come to fruition before.
In 2022, Cudi said he would direct and star in Teddy, which would premiere on Netflix. The film allegedly would be produced by Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel. It was supposedly based on Cudi’s hit “The Pursuit of Happyness.” The feature hasn’t been released and no further updates have been given on its status.
Cudi indicated in 2025 that he’d be directing a horror-romance called When The Light Dies, in a post on X.
