Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife, Will Packer To Produce Thriller About Nigeria’s Celebrity Con Artist, Hushpuppi

Universal Pictures has set up an untitled project based on the Bloomberg story “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master,” about Ramon Abbas, also known as Ray Hushpuppi.

Universal Pictures, Will Packer Productions and Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife have picked up the adaptation rights to the Bloomberg article “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master,” about the Instagram influencer Ramon Abbas, also known as Ray Hushpuppi, @hushpuppi, Hush or the Billionaire Gucci master.

The Bloomberg story by Evan Ratliff detailed claims by authorities that Nigerian-born Abbas perfected a simple internet scam and laundered millions of dollars.

An untitled action thriller project, set up at Universal Pictures, follows a contested auction for the property.

Discussions on writers to adapt the Bloomberg article are now on-going.

Will Packer and James Lopez will produce through their Will Packer Productions and Abudu will produce for EbonyLife Studios.

“Ten months ago Mo pitched us a rich and entertaining concept steeped in Nigerian culture that can only be told with the help of her unique perspective. Together we knew Evan’s work was the definitive telling and the perfect anchor of this saga,” Will Packer said in a statement.

Will Packer Productions is known for movies like Girls Trip and Night School.

“We understand the environment of poverty and deprivation that breeds highly talented and fundamentally flawed characters like Hushpuppi, and WPP knows how to create stories with global appeal,” Abudu added in her own statement.

The Hollywood Reporter