Universal has acquired the action-comedy pitch Run the Jewels by writing duo Alex Blagg and Neel Shah. Kevin Hart is attached to produce via his Hartbeat Productions banner.
The film centers on a group of failed rappers who attempt to rob an eccentric hip-hop mogul.
Kristin Lowe will oversee the project for Universal.
Blagg and Neel Shah wrote the 2012 Black List script F— Marry Kill, which is set up at Sony with Will Gluck and Larry Mark producing. They each have notable TV credits of their own as well: Blagg is a writer on Comedy Central’s Workaholics and a co-creator and executive producer on @Midnight. He also is an executive producer and showrunner on Comedy Central’s Problematic, and an executive producer on Fusion’s recent Trump vs. Bernie comedy special. Shah is an executive story editor on NBC’s DC Universe project Powerless, which has been ordered to series and stars Vanessa Hudgens.
Hart has a notable history with Universal. His latest film, Central Intelligence, which hit theaters last weekend, was released by the studio internationally and by New Line in North America. He also voices one of the characters in Illumination Entertainment’s The Secret Life of Pets, which Universal will release on July 8, and the studio will release his comedy tour film, Kevin Hart: What Now?, on Oct. 14. Hart is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Schreck Rose.
Shah is handled by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Gang, Tyre; Blagg is with WME, Principato-Young and Ginsburg Daniels.
