Dr. Dre Inks Film Production Deal With New Line

Legendary music producer Dr. Dre has inked a multi-year film production deal with New Line Cinema. According to Variety, Dre will co-produce dark comedies and horror films with longtime collaborator Phillip Atwell, and will be closely involved in the music aspect of the projects through his newly formed company, Crucial Films. New Line president Toby Emmerich, who used to run the company’s music business, orchestrated the deal. "Everything Dre has worked on becomes a hit, and one of the reasons for that is that he never put his name on anything that he doesn't really believe in," Emmerich said. "His records have always been very narrative in nature, and you can tell from his songs that he understands how to tell a story. We're excited to work with him as he branches out into the film world." Dre has worked with New Line in the past, perhaps most notably on the score for the film Set It Off with Queen Latifah. "This is a natural switch for me, since I've directed a lot of music videos," Dre told Variety. "And I eventually want to get into directing."