‘Notorious’ Screenwriter to Pen Run-DMC Flick

Cheo Hadari Coker, the journalist turned screenwriter of the 'Notorious' biopic is in talks to do the same for hip-hop legends and 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Run-DMC. Written by Bill Adler, Coker will adapt the book 'Tougher Than Leather: The Rise Of Run-DMC: The Authorized Biography' into a film. The project will be funded by DJ Classicz, which is the urban division of Davis Entertainment.

Though no title has been released, the film is said to take a close look at the members of Run-DMC. and their hip-hop legacy. "It's an extraordinary rags-to-riches journey that I'm eager to bring to the screen," Dallas Jackson, president of DJ Classicz, said in a recent interview. "I'm hoping to have Run, DMC and Russell Simmons' involvement. This will be a big movie about the 1980s hip-hop movement that took over the world."

Coker worked for several years as a journalist for well known publications such as Vibe and Spin Magazine. He has also appeared as a commentator on television music documentaries about hip-hop. Coker recently signed a deal with Imagine/Universal to write 'Lowriders' a film about low-riding cars.

John Davis, founder of Davis Entertainment, is the producer behind films such as 'Dr. Dolittle,' 'Fat Albert,' and 'Daddy Day Care.' The DJ Classicz division of the company was started three years ago to produce "urban family films."

Buy 'Tougher Than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC'