Cynthia Erivo Joins Universal's Snoop Dogg Biopic as Afeni Shakur

Cynthia Erivo has joined the cast of Snoop, Universal Pictures' biopic of Snoop Dogg. A biopic is a film built around a real person's life. The Hollywood Reporter reported on 4 November 2026 that Erivo will play Afeni Shakur, the mother of Tupac Shakur.

Afeni Shakur was a former Black Panther activist. Her relationship with her son was strained, and she became the subject of his top 10 hit, "Dear Mama." The film puts her at the centre of the story of a family that shaped one of hip-hop's most famous names.

The lead roles are already filled. Jonathan Daviss is playing Snoop Dogg, and Camron Jones is playing Tupac Shakur. Daviss is also a star of Outer Banks, according to a Yahoo Entertainment report from July 2026.

Craig Brewer is directing the film, and he wrote the latest draft of the script. Joe Robert Cole wrote the first draft. The production is under way in southern California.

The producers are Brian Grazer and Allan Mandelbaum of Imagine Entertainment, along with Snoop Dogg and Sara Ramaker, president of Death Row Pictures. The film will also use music from Snoop Dogg's catalogue.

What stands out is how much of the story runs through music. The soundtrack will draw on the rapper's own songs, and the family drama at its heart is tied to a song by his late friend and fellow artist. Erivo's role, a mother whose life was tangled up with her son's fame, now sits at the centre of that story.

For now, the film is in production, and its cast is taking shape. Erivo's arrival adds another major name to a project that brings together a rapper, a film-maker and a legendary family story.