Kid Cudi Will Play Basquiat in His Own Film, "Jean," Shooting in 2027
Kid Cudi will star as the painter Jean-Michel Basquiat in a film he wrote and directed himself, with filming set to begin in 2027. The rapper and actor announced the project on social media, posting images of himself in character. Variety reported the news on 21 October 2026.
The film is called "Jean." Basquiat rose to fame in the New York art scene of the 1980s, painting bold, scrawled canvases that drew on street graffiti and jazz, and he died in 1988 at the age of 27.
In his announcement, Cudi said he had wanted to play Basquiat in a film for years. No project came together until he decided to write one himself. He also said he had already done a wardrobe test and a wig fitting, which is the kind of early preparation that comes before a shoot.
His official Instagram account made the same points, saying JEAN is written, directed and starred in by Cudi, with filming set for 2027. Instagram carried the post on the same day.
Cudi's film is not the only one about the painter in the works. A separate Basquiat film, "The Collaboration," comes from director Kwame Kwei-Armah and is adapted from his 2022 stage play. Paul Bettany plays Andy Warhol, and Jeremy Pope plays Basquiat. It currently has no release date.
For anyone new to the story, the upshot is simple. Two films about the same artist are now on the public radar, and one of them has a start date for filming while the other has no release date at all. The next concrete update will come from the filmmakers themselves.
