A new film about DJ Screw and the S.U.C. titled “Soldiers United 4 Da Cash” will begin shooting in Houston this week. The project, which is being produced by San Antonio-based ZoomTV Network, will detail the rise of DJ Screw, his signature chopped and screwed production style and the Houston hip hop collective he started, the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.). According to a press release, filming of a pivotal scene will begin in South Houston this Thursday, June 3.
The scene, which dramatizes the moment chopped and screwed rap gained widespread popularity outside of Houston and features SLAB cars, will be filmed on the 12000 block of Cullen Boulevard at Kilkenny Drive from 3-6 p.m. Local rappers and S.U.C. members including Al D, Corey Blunt, Lil Flip, Botany Boys and more will onsite for the shoot.
Production of the film will cost a reported $14 million, with rapper/actor Omar Gooding in consideration for the role of DJ Screw. The relatively unknown project is not associated in any way with “All Screwed Up”, a scrapped DJ Screw biopic series directed by Houston videographer Isaac Yowman and produced by original S.U.C. member Lil Keke, which instead debuted in late 2020 as a 33-minute “visual tribute.” It appears the film is being produced independently of both the S.U.C. and Screw’s estate, though Tony Brown, head of urban development for ZTN, has said surviving S.U.C. members are supportive of the project, hence their anticipated attendance at this week’s shoot.
ZTN, the San Antonio-based streaming service and production company behind the project, is producing the film as part of a lineup of original TV and film content, most of which is currently under development. ZTN markets itself as an Over The Top (OTT) mobile streaming service, meaning it provides original content directly to consumers, bypassing traditional cable with various subscription packages ranging from free to paid tiers. While the film will presumably be available to stream directly from ZTN, a Houston theatrical premiere is apparently planned for November 16, the 21st anniversary of DJ Screw’s death.
A score and soundtrack are reportedly also in the works for the film, both of which will feature contemporary local rappers influenced by Screw and the S.U.C.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2021.
