Rapper-actor Ice Cube has joined the cast of Oren Moverman’s James Ellroy-scribed cop drama “Rampart,” which now has the director’s “The Messenger” leads Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson on board to star.
Cube will surprisingly take a lead role in the pic as a homicide detective sent to investigate a dirty cop (Harrelson), in a story based on the real-life scandal involving crooked L.A. cops in the 1990’s. The role is a healthy turn for Cube who, despite breaking out on the screen in John Singleton’s “Boyz N The Hood,” has recently found himself starring in a never ending slate of B-grade comedies — here’s to hoping Moverman can bring out something more like Cube’s performance in David O. Russell’s “Three Kings” instead of “Are We There Yet?”
The actor’s own background will likely bring a twisted authenticity to the film’s setting, Cube having lived through the era as a prominent pioneer of gangsta rap. His criticism of the L.A.P.D. on N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton stirred up a lot of trouble with authorities in its day with the irony of Cube now playing a cop in that very era surely not lost on the actor himself.
The film will go in front of cameras this summer, likely sidelining any involvement from Moverman with the Kurt Cobain biopic (at least for now). Being an Ellroy story, “Rampart” is probably an ensemble tale so we’d expect more talent to be coming on board soon, especially with the start date looming.