Peter Berg (
The Rundown) is gearing up to produce and direct
Hip-Hop Cops, according to Variety.
Written by Eric Eason (
Manito), pic is set inside the highly secretive division of the New York Police Dept. that exclusively investigates hip-hop and rap-related crime.
Story is described as a
Training Day-meets-MTV thriller.
A Gotham native, Eason has been on his home turf for the last 10 weeks, conducting research for the film. Because the NYPD denies the existence of any rap-related task force, Eason has had to work more as an investigative journalist than a screenwriter.
"Everybody involved is off the record, because if they reveal themselves, they'll put themselves in the position of possibly losing their jobs," he said.
"It definitely encompasses the hip-hop world, but it gets into the NYPD and City Hall," Eason said. "It harkens back to a '70s cop film or a 'French Connection.' It looks at all different strata."