Ice Cube has confirmed that he lost a $9 million offer to star in the comedy “Oh Hell No” at Sony Pictures over a COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
Kitao Sakurai (“Bad Trip”) was attached to direct the film in which Jack Black plays a character who falls in love with the mother of his friend, played by Cube.
The “Ride Along” and “21 Jump Street” star appeared on an episode of the podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game (via Deadline) on Monday and revealed that the film had a requirement that Cube be vaccinated against COVID-19. Cube had no intention of doing so:
“I turned down a movie because I didn’t want to get the motherf—ing jab. I turned down $9 million because I didn’t want to get the jab. F— that jab, and f— y’all for trying to make me get it. So, I don’t know how Hollywood feels about me right now.”
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Cube then clarified that he didn’t ‘turn down’ the job so much as he was forced out when he declined to get vaccinated:
“Those motherf—ers didn’t give it to me because I wouldn’t get the shot. I didn’t turn it down. They just wouldn’t give it to me. The COVID shot, the jab…I didn’t need it. I didn’t catch that s— at all. Nothing. F— ’em. I didn’t need that s—.”
Since Cube’s exit, Sony hasn’t done any further development on the project. Scot Armstrong, Tracy Oliver, Jessica Gao and Rodney Rothman scripted the film which Matt Tolmach was set to produce.
Cube’s last film was “The High Note,” which was released in May 2020.
