Exclusive: Case of the disappearing 50 Cent in movie “Righteous Kill”
When the producers of the movie Righteous Kill, which stars Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and 50 Cent, were trying to sell the film to major studios, they relied heavily on 50 Cent’s urban appeal to make the film more attractive to buyers. This included initial movie posters that featured DeNiro, Pacino and 50 Cent together, press leaks that portrayed 50 Cent as “one of the guys” with DeNiro and Pacino and a sales reel that showed 50 Cent as a club owner who assists in solving the murder case (which was quickly erased from the internet). This was an attempt by the producers to use 50 Cent to “young-up” the potential audience and reach the much coveted “urban” demographic.
But now that the film has been bought by a major studio and is set for release on September 12th, any semblance of 50 Cent in this movie has been erased. The new movie poster just features the two stars Pacino and De Niro, the new movie trailer (below) and the TV spots completley cut out all of 50 Cent’s scenes and even the website has no reference to Mr. Curtis Jackson at all. Why the case of the disappearing 50 Cent? The obvious reason would be that Curtis is small-time in comparison to the big stars of Pacino and DeNiro and that the focus should righfully be on the two of them.
However, our WoooHa, Inc. sources reveal that the real reason the studio cut Curtis out of the campaign is because their research and exit poll information showed that 50 actually was not the urban or young demographic box office draw they were hoping for. 50 basically can’t draw in the core demographic that used to buy his albums by the millions. The box office let down of Get Rich or Die Tryin’ should have been a hint of things to come.
It’s no secret in the music world that 50 Cent has lost some mainstream appeal, but in the film world you don’t necessarily need multi-platinum albums to have a successfull film career (Common, Mos Def, etc.) you just need to appeal to the urban demo. 50 clearly is losing that appeal. Now that the secret is out in Hollywood though, how will this affect Curtis’ long-term acting career? We shall see in his next movie Streets of Blood. And of course if his film career doesn’t do well, 50 can always fall back on his Vitamin Water, video games and his deodorant spray. 50 will be just fine. For now enjoy these two exclusive pics of 50 from the movie Righteous Kill and the current trailer.
(No Ratings Yet)
Comment by Corey F on 27 August 2008:
That was a dumb move by Overture. 50’s is a big draw. But hey, it’s their loss. This movie will go straight to DVD faster than you know. Dumb move by Overture.
Comment by Juan on 27 August 2008:
Great Post Yeti. I’ve definately noticed that. In the subway 4 sheet billboard out here in NYC his name is not even listed as being in the film. I remember in the initial promo it was DeNiro and 50 and Pacino wasn’t even included. Definitely a shift but something tells me his roll in the movie was always minimal at best to begin with. He can’t tread water with the caliber of Bobby and Al.
Comment by Yugot on 27 August 2008:
Im in chi-town and i noticed that same there here that Juan is talkin bout. Used to seem like a 50 Cent movie even though looks like he had a small part but now he is erased from everything. Oh well. git that vitamin water money
Comment by TARN on 27 August 2008:
I hear where you are coming from Yeti but at the same time does the studio really need 50 Cent to make this movie a success? DeNiro and Pacino will do just fine without em.
Pingback by 50 Cent Erased From ?Righteous Kill? Movie Promos on 27 August 2008:
[...] shoulder from Hollywood bigwigs, and now 50 cent is feeling the sting of rejection. According to Wooha.com, 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, was used as bait to sell the movie “Righteous Kill” to a [...]
Comment by Cool Mike on 27 August 2008:
I have a good feeling about this movie. I’ll check it out, no doubt!
Comment by m@ on 27 August 2008:
That’s a little bit disappointing, but you’d be crazy to think 50 Cent has any kind of draw compared to DeNiro or Pacino. He isn’t going to make or break the movie.
Comment by Yeti on 27 August 2008:
@TARN - yea I know 50 does not have the same pull as DeNiro or Pacino. The point though is that producers often cast hip-hop artists in non-urban films to try and get a piece of the urban demo and/or hip-hop fans. That’s the reason he was cast in this movie originally.
Same reason he was in “Home of the Brave” and same reason Common was randomly cast in “Wanted” or Andre Benjamin in “Semi-Pro”. The point though is that 50 clearly does not have the pull with the urban demo that the studios thought he would…so they basically took him out altogether and decided to focus just on DeNiro and Pacino, which I think is the right thing to do anyways since 50’s part is pretty small.
Comment by Red Alert on 27 August 2008:
I get it. The old guys will bring in the mainstream but wont bring in us hip-hop heads alone. Hire the rapper and we will all come. Too bad they hired 50 about 3 years too late.
Comment by Mike Belgrove on 28 August 2008:
Well I think it boils down to the fact that if you have Pacino, who is the ultimate hip hop movie icon from his role as Scarface in a film, do you really need anything else to appeal to a urban demo? That and 50 sucks as an actor. Really really suck. In Get Rich or Die Tryin’ he did an awful job of playing a character that was basically himself.
Pingback by 50 Cent's move career just took a L - Rapmusic.com on 31 August 2008:
[...] use 50 Cent to ?young-up? the potential audience and reach the much coveted ?urban? demographic. Exclusive: Case of the disappearing 50 Cent in movie “Righteous Kill” | WoooHa.com __________________ F.L.F. Freepost Liberation Front This forum requires that you wait 45 [...]
Comment by justin on 6 September 2008:
I Smell A Lawsuit Coming, I Think You Have To Give Credit To A CoStar, Oh-Well, 50 Getting that Money Anyways From This. As Long As They Don’t Cut Him Out The Movie
Pingback by Video: 50 Cent and Robert DeNiro talk “Righteous Kill” | WoooHa.com on 8 September 2008:
[...] Cent and Robert DeNiro talk “Righteous Kill” September 8th, 2008 • Filed Under Exclusive: Case of the disappearing 50 Cent in movie “Righteous Kill”Movie poster to 50 Cent’s “Streets of Blood”Photos of 50 Cent on set of [...]
Pingback by agentbedhead.com - Adverts That (Might) Work #57: Two Righteous Dudes & One Conspicuously Absent Rapper on 12 September 2008:
[...] Cent” Jackson, but you’d never know it by looking at the film’s posters. This was not always the case: When the producers of the movie Righteous Kill, which stars Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and 50 Cent, [...]
Comment by Robbie on 12 September 2008:
I think the studio made a huge mistake. Although Pacino and De Niro WERE huge stars, as a member of the hip hop community I may have seen the film if they promoted 50 Cent more. I look at it like this, 50 Cent could only help this movie. Will a 60 year Pacino and De Niro really draw a big audience. We’ll see.
Pingback by 50 Cent slammed in reviews of “Righteous Kill” | WoooHa.com on 15 September 2008:
[...] back G-Unit Clothing w/ Mark EckoVideo: 50 Cent and Robert DeNiro talk “Righteous Kill”Exclusive: Case of the disappearing 50 Cent in movie “Righteous Kill”Movie poster to 50 Cent’s “Streets of Blood”Photos of 50 Cent on set of [...]
Comment by bman on 29 September 2008:
50 Cent is a horrible actor
Comment by Martin B on 27 November 2008:
FUCK you DUMB FUCKS, 50 Cent fucking sucks and you all know that , deep inside ! get rich or die tryin( good movie) but he acted like a 4 year old , in home of the brave , i was shooocked of his performance, cus i mean, he clearly get this movie roles only because hes ugly rich … and well al pacino and robert deniro are legends, so anybody who say that they need 50 to draw som attention is STUPID, the only audience 50 cent draws attention from is the ones that aint old enough for the movie , soo well dosent matter!! curtis jackson, soon youre forgotten monkey boy=) if he was to work on his own, he wouldnt appeal to anyone, the only thing that makes idiots like him is, because he got a muscular body , and acts like a gangsta, and the kids actually belives it, GODdamn FOOLS, hes an ACTOR , and a sucky one at that !! so fuck that fag
Comment by Martin B on 27 November 2008:
and yeah forgot!, offcourse, also because he’s got shot , well somebody dont like him very much, and he actually brags about it hehahaha, well monkey boy , u was lucky the next shot will kill ya ! and yeah back to the point, without em and dre, he would have work the street corner as a transvestite probably, since hes dope career didnt go that well, HE GOT SHOT , and the funny thing about this is that he has, ruined great rappers careers and u , the Audience let him, because the kids who listen to him, is brainwashed and immature