50 Cent Will Try to Make an Addictive Superhero Series for Starz

Rapper and entrepreneur Curtis Jackson, also known as “50 Cent,” is expanding his TV repertoire with something more grand than his drama Power, now in its third season on Starz. Titled Tomorrow, Today, Jackson’s project will be a superhero show (that sounds like it owes much to The Six Million Dollar Man) in which a Chicago veteran is falsely imprisoned and turned into the human test subject for a mad scientist.

Announced Monday afternoon at the TCA, Tomorrow, Today is part of a deal between Starz and Jackson’s G-Unit Film & TV to develop projects for the network until September 2018.

“I am looking forward to continuing my relationship with my Starz family,” said Jackson, citing the success of Power. “This project is very personal to me …creating it, writing it, finding the best team for it and I will continue to be involved every step of the way.”

It must be personal for Jackson, as the rapper and Vitamin Water minority stakeholder isn’t a stranger to the nerdier side of pop culture. At the height of his music career, 50 Cent starred in two video games, 50 Cent: Bulletproof and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. His semi-autobiography/self-help book The 50th Law, co-written by Robert Greene, was adapted into a comic book in 2012. He has also stated his wish to star in a Marvel movie as a bad guy.

Starz also stands to benefit from the collaboration. An original superhero series not beholden to known source material is the kind of diverse, high-concept genre the network is becoming recognized for: Outlander, Black Sails, the horror-comedy Ash vs. Evil Dead, and the upcoming American Gods based on Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed fantasy novel.

Said Carmi Zlotnik, who is responsible for Starz’s direction: “We’re excited to develop this series with Curtis to showcase his producing skills with this unique storyline.”