Kid Cudi Joins Cast of "Need For Speed"

Kid Cudi has joined the cast of the upcoming adaptation of Need For Speed, according to Deadline. The rapper joins Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, Dominic Coooper, Imogen Poots, Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek and Harrison Gilbertson. Scott Waugh, known for his work on Act of Valor, has been selected to direct the flick.

The film will be based on the EA video game series, but will not focus on any particular game. The script will instead center on the character of Paul, a local street racer who, after being framed for the murder of one of his friends, participates in a revenge-driven race from New York to Los Angeles. According to DreamWorks, the film's goal is to capture the same attitude depicted in the 1970s car culture films.

This will not be Cudi's acting debut. (See Kid Cudi spills label woes in Twitter rant.) The GOOD Music MC was a part of HBO's short-lived series, How to Make It in America, and he just finished filming in the indie romantic comedy, Two Night Stand. In the past, he has also contributed to soundtracks, but it is unclear if he will do so for this movie.

The Need for Speed series started in 1994 and now includes more than 20 games. The latest game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, was released last October. NFS is the most successful racing video game with more than 140 million units sold worldwide and approximately $4 billion in revenue through the years.

Photo: XXL Mag