Ice Cube is set to play Ebenezer Scrooge in an upcoming modern retelling of A Christmas Carol called Humbug.
Envisioned as a contemporary retelling of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol,” Ice Cube’s Scrooge will be a wealthy real estate mogul rather than a banker, but the story will remain otherwise unchanged, with the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future showing Scrooge the errors of his ways and leading him to redemption.
The film will be directed by Tim Story, who has previously collaborated with Ice Cube on a variety of projects, including Ride Along 2, released last year and also starring Kevin Hart. Ice Cube and Story had also worked together on Ride Along, as well as on Barbershop in 2002.
Universal Pictures had acquired the rights to Humbug earlier today in a four-studio bidding battle, according to Deadline. Universal outbid MGM, New Line and Disney for the rights.
Although he hasn’t appeared on the big screen in 2015, Ice Cube had been busy behind the scene, working on the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which proved to be a iconic hit and a summer blockbuster, via Rolling Stones.
No official release date has been announced for Humbug, although it could be ready as early as 2017, studio sources said.
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