Jason Mitchell Set to Portray Sean Bell in Upcoming Biopic
Jason Mitchell will portray Sean Bell, an African-American man who was fatally shot by NYPD just hours before his wedding. Mitchell, who also starred in Straight Outta Compton and “The Chi,” will take on the role of Sean Bell in a biopic titled 50 Shots, according to TMZ.
Mitchell shared the news on his instagram stating, “I’d like to give thanks to God.. the Bell family and my f*cking guy @truvisionsfilms. This is about to be epic.”
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In 2006, undercover cops shot the vehicle that Bell and his friends and family were in after leaving his bachelor party at a strip club in Queens, NY. Police claimed to believe that Bell and the other men in the vehicle were armed. However, it was later determined that they were not armed. Bell was only 23 years old at time.
In 2010, Bell’s family won a $7 million lawsuit against the city, but the officers who were involved in the shooting were fully acquitted.
Mitchell is not only starring in the biopic but will also executive produce the film alongside Tru of TruVision Films. Initially he read for the part of one of the undercover cops, but after reading the full script he opted to play Bell to tell his story. He was recently photographed spending time with Bell’s father, William.
The movie has been in the works for three years now and will be filmed in Queens. The Bell family is heavily involved with the upcoming project.
This will be Mitchell’s first role since he was fired from “The Chi” following sexual misconduct allegations last year. His co-star, Tiffany Boone alleged that he sexually harassed her on set.
Following the allegations, Mitchell stopped by “The Breakfast Club” to clear the air. He said that there was “no situation” between himself and Boone. He did, however, apologize to anyone who he made feel uncomfortable. “You know I definitely never put my hands on somebody or anything like that,” he said. “But I think it was just sort of a series of events that led to things kind of being weird between us.”
Lavasia Lawton| Instagram: @viva_la_vasia