Kid Cudi will write direct and star in Basquiat feature film

Musician Scott Mescudi, known professionally as Kid Cudi, announced on social media that he will write, direct, and star in a new biographical film titled Jean. The movie will focus on the life of painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, as reported by the AV Club, Variety, and Deadline. Principal photography is scheduled to start in 2027, according to the AV Club and Variety. [1][2][3]

Mescudi shared photos of himself in character on social media to announce the project. The AV Club noted that Mescudi is 43 years old, while Basquiat died in 1988 at the age of 27 from a heroin overdose. Mescudi stated online that fans had asked him for years to portray the artist, but because no project materialized, he decided to write and helm the film himself, according to Variety and Deadline. [1][2][3]

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Mescudi relocated to New York City to pursue his career in music, gaining initial prominence with the release of his 2008 mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. Basquiat achieved widespread acclaim during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism art movement in New York. [8][9][10]