Janelle Monáe to Star In, Produce ‘Never Saw Me Coming’ Adaptation

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As a gaming enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be stepping into the shoes of the legendary Janelle Monáe, who’s not just an actress and singer but also producing the upcoming Universal Pictures adaptation. This movie is based on Tanya Smith’s gripping heist memoir titled Never Saw Me Coming. The book tells an exhilarating story of how Tanya managed to outsmart the FBI and the entire banking system, ultimately walking away with a cool $40 million!

Monae is set to create a film centered around a woman unaware of her own cunning, who devises an ingenious white-collar scam that exploits the U.S. banking system for millions. This project will be under Wondaland Pictures’ first look deal with Universal, with Smith overseeing production.

When law enforcement ultimately apprehended Smith, they initially doubted that a black woman could orchestrate complex financial frauds, arrogantly stating “these are not the kinds of crimes black people have the intelligence to carry out,” as suggested by the show’s creators. Despite serving a tough prison sentence for her financial misdeeds, as recounted in her memoir, Smith now champions causes such as prison reform, racial fairness, and economic parity.

When Smith was eventually caught by the FBI, they were skeptical that a black woman could mastermind intricate financial crimes, insinuating “these aren’t the kind of crimes blacks are smart enough to pull off,” based on the show’s narrative. After serving a lengthy prison term for her financial misconduct, as detailed in her memoir, Smith now advocates for criminal justice reform, racial equality, and economic fairness.

Janelle Monáe boasts a diverse screen resume, featuring roles in films such as “Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures,” “Antebellum,” “Harriet,” “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” and the television series “Homecoming.” This multi-talented artist, who has been nominated for Grammy awards, is also known for her work in music as a singer, rapper, songwriter, arranger, and producer. Her albums include “The ArchAndroid” (2010), “The Electric Lady” (2013), “Dirty Computer” (2018), and the upcoming release, “The Age of Pleasure,” scheduled for 2023.

Previously, Universal Pictures secured rights to adapt various books, including Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me”, Colleen Hoover’s novel “Reminders of Him”, Percival Everett’s book “James”, Stacey Abrams’ work “Rules of Engagement”, and Mark A. Bradley’s book “Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America, into movies. Similarly, a deal has been made for the adaptation of “Never Saw Me Coming”.

Monáe is represented by Wondaland Management and WME. Smith is represented by Yorn Levine.

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2025-02-19 23:24