50 Cent and Eminem Working on ‘8 Mile’ TV Show

Over the past few years, iconic rapper and video game star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has developed a thriving second career as a TV producer, being responsible for practically half of the Starz network’s programming with the “Power” franchise and “BMF.” Now, the rapper is apparently partnering up with his “Crack a Bottle” collaborator, Eminem, to bring “8 Mile” to the small screen.

50 Cent spoke about his apparent plans to adapt Eminem’s 2002 film for TV. According to 50 Cent, he and Eminem are working to develop the series for television and that he wants to bring the story in order to expose younger generations to Eminem’s legacy. The two rappers have been friends since the early 2000’s, and have partnered dozens of times beginning with two songs from 50 Cent’s 2003 album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’

“I wanna bring, I’m gonna bring, 8 Mile to television,” the rapper said. ““It’s gonna be big. I’m working. I ain’t got no duds. I’m batting 100. I think it should be there for his legacy because it’s important to me that they understand it.”

Released in 2002, “8 Mile” is a slightly fictionalized recounting of Eminem’s life story as an aspiring rapper, with the rapper himself playing the main character Jimmy Smith Jr. or “B-Rabbit.” The film follows Jimmy, a blue collar car factory worker, attempting to gain respect in the Detroit rap community. Directed by “L.A. Confidential” Oscar winner Curtis Hanson from a screenplay by Scott Silver, who most recently wrote the screenplay for “Joker,” “8 Mile” also stars Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon, and Anthony Mackie.

“8 Mile” was a critical and commercial success when it first hit theaters, grossing $242.9 million worldwide off of a $51.3 million budget. Eminem, along with songwriters Luis Resto and Jeff Bass, won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself.” Although he wasn’t present at the Academy Award ceremony that year to perform the song or accept the award, he would make a (somewhat inexplicable) appearance at the 2020 ceremony to perform it 17 years later. 50 Cent appeared on three songs from the movie’s tie-in soundtrack, which sold $3.4 million copies and launched “Lose Yourself” to a 12-week No. 1 Billboard hit.