US film company, Will Packer Productions, and Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Studios have acquired rights to make a movie based on Bloomberg’s article about Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, titled Bloomberg article, “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master”, The Nation has learnt.
The Nation reports Hushpuppi had been arrested in June 2020, in a special operation dubbed ‘Fox Hunt 2’, alongside 11 of his associates over allegations bordering on hacking, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud, and identity theft.
According to Deadline.com, Abudu and Packer are now teaming up to develop a project based on a detailed article authored about Hushpuppi by Evan Ratliff, a Bloomberg journalist who covered the cyber fraud case.
The Nation learnt that both companies competitively won the rights and set up the project at Universal Pictures.
Packer and James Lopez will produce through their Will Packer Productions, with Abudu using her own EbonyLife TV.
Abudu said: “EbonyLife is uniquely positioned to ensure the depth and authenticity of this film. This is why we needed to partner with a major Hollywood producer like Will Packer Productions.
“They are equally invested in telling stories that resonate with our audiences. 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.”
Packer also stated that, “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.”
