Wyclef Jean’s childhood in Haiti is the inspiration for a new CG-animated feature film coming to Netflix.
According to Deadline, Jean is teaming up with Greg Silverman’s Stampede Company to produce the animated film, and Justin Marks will pen the script.
Based on the synopsis, the film will be “informed by Jean’s childhood in Haiti, where he lived until his family emigrated to Brooklyn at age 9, and then to New Jersey where he began his musical path.”
Jean talked about the project and said, “I grew up in extreme poverty but I was rich with imagination. Now to see that imagination turn into reality with Netflix and my producing partners makes me want to tell the kids from the slums around the world to never stop dreaming.”
With a career spanning over 20 years, Jean became mostly known as one of the founding members of the legendary hip-hop group The Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel. He has also seen success as a solo artist and has collaborated with a number of artists such as Mary J. Blige and Shakira.
Melissa Cobb, the VP of Kids and Family at Netflix said, “When Wyclef first came to us with the rich story idea for an animated film about his personal journey and the evolution of his music from when he was a young boy in Haiti to finding his voice in New York City — we were hooked.”
She continued, “Animation is a medium that travels the globe exceptionally well and we cannot wait to share Wyclef’s unique perspective and voice with family audiences around the world.”
Justin Marks, whose writing credits include, “The Jungle Book,” and “Top Gun Maverick,” added, “When I was 17 years old, two things had a huge impact on my life: the music of Wyclef Jean and the spirit of his home country, Haiti. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited Haiti and worked alongside its people several times over the years, and I’ve long wanted to tell a story about its vibrant and resilient culture.”
Congrats to Wyclef Jean on the new project!
