‘8 Mile’: 50 Cent is Transitioning Eminem’s Iconic Movie Into TV Series
Eminem hasn’t made much music in the past decade as he’s been focusing on other ventures and enjoying life outside of the spotlight since getting sober. But the Detroit native is lauded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, and a surprising contribution to the hip-hop scene. While the genre is dominated by rappers of color, Eminem proved that white boys can rap and have just as much soul. His ascension into the rap game was chronicled in a biographical film, 8 Mile. Now, his mentee-turned-friend 50 Cent is committed to bringing the story to television.
50 Cent is adapting ‘8 Mile’ into a television series
The rapper turned content creator has some of the most successful dramas via his deal with STARZ. He is the executive producer of the Power franchise, and has other projects on the network, as well as on streaming apps. Now, he wants to bring 8 Mile to the forefront.
“I’m gonna bring [Eminem’s] 8 Mile to television…We in motion,” he revealed on Real 92.3’s Big Boy’s Neighborhood. “It’s gonna be big. I’m working. I ain’t got no duds. I’m batting 100,” he added, noting that he feels it’s a necessary part of Eminem’s story. I think it should be for his legacy,” he noted.
50 spoke on how Eminem made such a cultural impact in a world where he was initially considered an outsider. “It’s important to me that they understand it. When [Steve] Stout would say ‘the tanning of America’ because America’s listening to Black music, right?” he asked. “And it’s really the culture losing its color for everybody to feel like they can enjoy it and appreciate it. Because they see someone who’s accepted and respected, and it makes them a part of it also.”
But 50 is doing a more modern take on the series version. “Think Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The new version of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I want to be able to show and offer a lot more details. Things that you would say in an interview or different things that you’ve already used that you put out there and stuff like that. You’ll see those things kind of surface in the temperament of the characters,” he added.
How ‘8 Mile’ fared with audiences and at the box office
It’s been 20 years since the film’s debut. Released in 2002, it marked Eminem’s film debut. Much of the story is autobiographical as it focuses on a white rapper, Jimmy Smith Jr., aka B-Rabbit [Eminem], an aspiring rapper who proves himself in the rap battle scene in his hometown of Detroit. The title is a nod to 8 Mile Road, the dividing highway in Michigan between the African-American city of Detroit and white suburban cities.
Fans flocked to the theaters, making it the No. 1 movie across the country in its opening weekend. It eventually grossed over $240 million against a budget of just $40 million.
A New York Times review of the film noted: “The film embraces the absurdity of a white rapper who takes down a brother in a club full of black people — perhaps more black people than own Eminem records. But this fantasy does acknowledge that rap has conquered the world of the young.”
The film’s soundtrack was equally successful
Released under Eminem’s Shady Records, the soundtrack was just as successful and popular as the film. The biggest single was the soundtrack’s lead song, “Lose Yourself.” 8 Mile debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “Lose Yourself” won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
