Movie on Hushpuppi to hit airwaves in The Fall of the Gucci Master adaptation

Ramon Abass Igbalode, popularly known as Hushpuppi, is set to have his life story adapted into a movie. The movie will center around the disgraced fraudster’s jet setting lifestyle captured by Bloomberg journalist Evan Ratiff in his piece titled, “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master.”

Since his arrest in Dubai last year, Hushpuppi has become a global sensation with many wondering how the 38 year old was able to live publicly on his ill gotten wealth for so long despite having no known source of income. Until his arrest, Hushpuppi was living in the penthouse of a luxury apartment in Dubai from where he often shares pictures of his luxury cars and other expensive items with his more than 2 million followers on Instagram.

Investigations revealed that Hushpuppi was born and raised in Lagos where he lived in abject poverty and sold second hand clothes before he became an international fraudster.

His life story which is about to hit the big screen is a collaboration between Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife TV, Universal Pictures, and Will Packer Productions. The trio managed to secure the rights to adapt the highly sort after Bloomberg story into a movie.

The movie will detail how Hushpuppi carried out his internet scam, his celebrity and jet setting lifestyle and how he was eventually caught by a team of international police and extradited to the United States to face trial.

EbonyLife is uniquely positioned to ensure the depth and authenticity of this film,” said Abdu. “This is why we needed to partner with a major Hollywood producer like Will Packer Productions – they are equally invested in telling stories that resonate with our audiences. We understand the environment of poverty and deprivation that breeds highly talented and fundamentally flawed characters like Hushpuppi, and WPP knows how to create stories with global appeal.”

Added Packer: “Ten months ago Mo pitched us a rich and entertaining concept steeped in Nigerian culture that can only be told with the help of her unique perspective. Together we knew Evan’s work was the definitive telling and the perfect anchor of this saga.”

Will Packer Productions’ films have earned more than $1 billion, with 10 opening at No. 1 at the domestic box office, including Girls Trip and Night School, the respective top-grossing comedies of 2018 and 2017. The company’s other titles include The Photograph, Little, What Men Want, No Good Deed, the Ride Along films, Think Like a Man and sequel Think Like a Man Too, Takers, Obsessed, Breaking In and Stomp the Yard.

EbonyLife Studios is is a Nigerian company dedicated to creating world-class and authentic African stories, through a range of co-production deals with international studios. As a TV and feature film producer, EbonyLife has created more than 5,000 hours of original programming across a variety of genres, as well as seven feature films, three of which are the highest-grossing movies of all time at the Nigerian box office.

Hushpuppi’s saga is still unfolding, in recent times he has fingered a top Nigerian cop for receiving part of his ill gotten money. The cop – Abba Kyari has since been dismissed from the country’s police and an investigation ordered into his connection with hushpuppi.

For now, Hushpuppi is remanded in a U.S prison where he has pleaded guilty to his crimes, and could serve up to 20 years in prison. Him and his associates have swindled more than 25,000 people out of almost $24 million, according to the FBI.