New Jack City
John Singleton’sBoyz n the Hoodis reckon as one of the most honest depictions of urban gang - violence ever committed to celluloid . The story of Tre Styles ( Cuba Gooding Jr. ) coming of age in South Central Los Angeles amid unsafe gang culture bring in Singleton Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director , becoming the immature and the first Black filmmaker to earn the latter distinction .
For its overall importance , Boyz n the Hoodwas selected for the National Film Registry in 2002 . As the picture show set about 30 year sometime , here are 10 behind - the - shot fact about the making ofBoyz in the Hood .
Inspiration
John Singleton was inspired to drop a line the screenplay for the film in response to the moviesColorsandNew Jack City , which he feel did not candidly depict the experience of African - Americans in the crew - rally neighborhood .
Part of the story come from a plastic film schooltime project Singleton wrote calledSummer of 84 . He establish the character of Tre Styles on his own experiences as a child . Just like Tre in the picture show , Singleton also moved to South Central at the age of 12 to live on with his mortgage broker father .
Laurence Fishburne’s Role
According to the Nerdist podcast , actorPaul Reubensadmitted that Singleton work as a surety guard on the set ofPee - Wee ’s Playhousein 1986.Laurence Fishburnewas also hanging around the readiness and received the playscript forBoyz n the Hoodfrom Singleton to give his opinion .
Five geezerhood later when the movie was put into output , Fishburne was cast as Jason " Furious " Styles , Tre ’s tough - loving father . Despite playing Cuba Gooding Jr. ’s Father-God in the film , Fishburne is only seven years older .
Singleton’s Conditions
Based on the success ofSpike Lee’sDo the Right Thing , Columbia set out to make a similar sort of movie . However , the studio apartment was not well-heeled allow such a young inexperienced film producer like Singleton to direct .
However , Singleton stood his ground and demanded that he would not allow for the book to be filmed unless he was the one to manoeuver . He felt powerfully that someone from South Central who knew the dependent matter should helm the flick , claiming " I ’m not gon na let somebody from Idaho or Encino send a movie about living in South - Central Los Angeles . "
Casting
Prior to Cuba Gooding Jr. being cast as the adult version of Tre , Will Smithwas powerfully debate for the role . Smith ultimately deform down the persona due to his commitments toThe Fresh Prince of Bel - Air .
In increase , Eddie Murphywas consider to play Furious Styles in the film . Singleton himself come out in a cameo part as a postman as Ricky ( Morris Chestnut ) and Doughboy ( Ice Cube ) fight in the front railway yard . To achieve the utmost authenticity , Singleton never told his thespian when gunshots were going to be open fire in the film . As a result , the role player ’s reactions to gunman ferocity in the film are natural .
Ice Cube’s Part
Despite having zero photographic film performing experience , the part of Doughboy was specifically written forIce Cube . Singleton approach Cube several times at knock concerts , but Cube was hesitating to commit to an official screen test .
Once he take the function , Singleton later encouraged Cube to write his own book , lead to theFridayfranchise a few years later . Doughboy and his work party are pattern after the Rollin 60s Crips street gang in Los Angeles . In real life sentence , the Crips ' gang rival , the Crenshaw Mafia Bloods , took issue with their cowardly depiction in the film .
Sequential Shoot
Boyz n The Hoodwas fritter away in sequence , a curiosity on most film production . Singleton claimed that this is why the camerawork gets stronger as the movie progress , as he began to bump his footing as a film director when the agenda advanced .
To excogitate his directorial betterment as cinematography went on , Singleton added a line of products of dialogue to the book . When Furious cut Tre ’s hair , he bring up " I ’m not getting previous , I ’m getting better . " This is a lineal reference to Singleton ’s grow assurance as filming forward-looking .
Ricky’s Near-Accident
During the scene in which Ferris kindle a Mac-11 in the air and galvanise Ricky , actor Morris Chestnut about had his legs bleed over by Doughboy ’s Chevy Impala .
As Ricky ( Chestnut ) runs away from the gunfire towards Tre ’s car , he accidentally slips and hang , expose his lower limb to the Impala as it drives away . as luck would have it , Chestnut scurry out of the way in the snick of meter and remained unscathed . Singleton used to the barb in the net cut of meat of the motion picture to ensure the utmost realism .
Officer Coffey
In keep with the autobiographical motif , the abusive and self - loathe inglorious Police Officer Coffey ( Jessie Lawrence Ferguson ) is based on a literal - living cop Singleton encountered as a teenager .
Singleton let in the character in the movie because he thought it was vital to show how systemic racism and police force barbarity is n’t always limited to the color of one ’s pelt , and how blackened - on - opprobrious crime exists within the police community of interests , as well .
N.W.A. Involvement
Singleton ab initio require appendage of Ice Cube ’s whang group N.W.A. to play his crew in the film . However , Cube left N.W.A. around that time due to a contract dispute , leading to a feud between him and several band member , include Eazy E. Both sides release a series of diss - tracks chronicling their beef at the prison term .
As a result , Singleton struggle to recast the role of Doughboy ’s suite . In one jab at N.W.A. , a chain - snatcher wearing an Eazy - E shirt is caught and viciously beaten on the sidewalk .
Life Imitates Art
The scene at the beginning of the film when Tre , Doughboy , and Little Chris go to see a beat body was shot one mile from Florence and Normandie streets in South Central . This is the internet site where Rodney King was viciously beat by police officers in 1992 , one year after the liberation of the film . The event sparked scream and far-flung civil ferment .
In add-on , the worker ( Lloyd Avery II ) who fatally shoots Ricky at the end of the picture show joined the Crenshaw Mafia Bloods after the movie was complete . Avery II was hold back and convict in sex act to a double homicide , welcome a aliveness condemnation as a effect . In 2006 , Avery was drink down in poky by his cellmate .
NEXT : Top 10 Iconic Black Movies , Ranked
