Mo Abudu, Will Packer and Universal Pictures secure Movie Adaptation Rights on Hushpuppi

Nigerian media mogul and founder of EbonyLifeTV, Mo Abudu,  in collaboration with Universal Pictures, and Will Packer Productions will produce a movie on Ramon Abass popularly known as Hushpuppi, after receiving adaptation rights.

Inspired by a Bloomberg story, titled “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master,” the production houses will produce a movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporters, discussions on writers to adapt the Bloomberg story are in progress for an untitled action thriller project, set up at Universal Pictures. Will Packer and James Lopez will produce through their Will Packer Productions and Abudu will produce for EbonyLife Studios.

The movie will detail how Huspuppi perfected a simple internet scam, defrauded over 2 million people, and laundered millions of Dollars, and how he was caught by International police in a raid in June of 2020 in Dubai.

Will Packer Productions is known for producing popular movies like “Girls Trip”, “Night School”, “Think Like a Man Too”, “Ride Along”, “Think Like a Man”, “Takers”, “Obsessed”, “Breaking In” and “Stomp the Yard”

Will Packer in a statement said, “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.”

“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 statement.

Mo Abudu shared her experience about winning the rights on her Instagram page saying,

“When the Hushpuppi story made headlines last year, I pitched the story idea to @willpowerpacker and James Lopez. They bought the idea and as headlined in this press release, together we won the rights to the Bloomberg article by Evan Ratliff mentioned above. The rights were won after a highly contested derby by several producers and is now set up at Universal Pictures. The globetrotting action thriller project is said to be a hybrid of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and USUAL SUSPECTS. It’s a dream come true to be working with WIll Packer Productions and Universal Pictures on this project.”

Hushpuppi was arrested by Dubai Police, International Police (Interpol) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for Internet fraud and money laundering on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.