Hacked Sony Emails Reveal Kanye West Planning “Immersive” Film Project

December 15, 2014

Recently leaked emails between Sony executives reveal that the film studio were in talks to develop a Kanye West feature film and a Destiny’s Child biopic. The emails were leaked after Sony’s servers were hacked by a cyber group calling themselves Guardians of Peace.

The Daily Beast say they have been sifting through thousands of leaked Sony documents and within them found an email, dated August 4th, 2014, where Kanye West’s creative assistant Elon Rutberg pitched Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal a project described an “immersive cinema experience”.

“I supervise all of Kanye’s film and media projects, and we have a major film project coming up that involves both cinematic and technological innovation, so I naturally thought Sony and wanted to reach out,” wrote Rutberg. He wrote that they “premiered a multi-screen cinema experience to great response at Cannes 2012” and were looking to “take the storytelling to the next level with a feature length film, shot for an immersive cinema experience.”

The multi-screen project referred to in the email is West’s 2012 short film Cruel Summer, with casts members including Kid Cudi and Big Sean. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film doubled as a seven-screen art installation, was made in association with the Doha Film Institute and was shot on location in Qatar capital Doha.

It is not known whether the feature film pitched in the email is in any way related to the previously announced Yeezus concert film, directed by Hype Williams, a trailer for which debuted in February. Earlier this year it was reported that American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis was working on a film project with Kanye West. At the time Ellis warned the film could still be a while away saying, “It’s in Kanye Land, and that’s subject to a whole other time frame.”

Another email from August 17th, reports The Daily Beast, also reveals Kanye West will have some kind of role Jonathan Levine’s upcoming Christmas Eve film starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The email reportedly from producer James Weaver to Rogen, his filmmaking partner Evan Goldberg and Amy Pascal says, “We’ll have an XMAS tease for 2015. We have a specific idea to attach to THE INTERVIEW that will crush. Seth, Joe, and [Anthony] Mackie reenacting the scene from BIG on the floor piano at FAO Schwartz with KANYE WEST. It’s fucking awesome.”

The hacked emails also reveal that Sony were once in discussions about a Destiny’s Child biopic. December 2013 emails between executives say Beyoncé’s father Matthew Knowles “wants to make the film of Destiny’s Child” and went to Sony first with the idea.

“He’s going to Universal next,” wrote Clint Culpepper, president of Screen Gems. “Do we think it would be a successful film? They’re on Sony label. I’m just not sure that it’s not too soon.” The publication notes that the Sony executives seemed excited about the idea but confirm that there is a Destiny’s Child biopic set for a February 2015 release on the Lifetime Network.