50 Cent Boards PAYDAY Live-Action Adaptation with Starbreeze and VICE Studios

Media mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has officially joined forces with Starbreeze Entertainment and VICE Studios to produce a live-action screen adaptation of the multi-million-dollar co-op heist franchise PAYDAY. Executed through Jackson’s production banner, G-Unit Film & Television, the project aims to translate the high-octane crime fantasy of the video games into a major global television or film enterprise. Operating alongside Starbreeze CEO Adolf Kristjansson and VICE Studios President Amy Powell, the collaboration pairs one of hip-hop’s most successful television producers with Sweden’s flagship gaming IP.

Who Is 50 Cent Partnering With for the PAYDAY Series?

The live-action adaptation is a three-way partnership involving G-Unit Film & Television, VICE Studios, and game developer Starbreeze Entertainment. The initiative represents a core strategic goal for Starbreeze: expanding its signature gaming property into an interconnected, multi-medium entertainment brand.

G-Unit Film & Television, founded by Curtis Jackson in 2005, brings significant star power and crime-drama experience to the table. Jackson’s track record includes executive producing the massive Power universe on STARZ along with its popular spin-offs, the crime drama BMF, and various unscripted docuseries.

This project continues Jackson’s heavy presence across gaming and Hollywood. Beyond his classic mid-2000s action video games 50 Cent: Bulletproof and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, Jackson is set to star as Balrog in the live-action Street Fighter feature film scheduled for late 2026.

What Is the PAYDAY Video Game Franchise?

First launched in 2011 with PAYDAY: The Heist, the series has established itself as an iconic staple of cooperative tactical shooters. Across its various installments, including PAYDAY 2 and the latest release, PAYDAY 3, the franchise lets players step into the iconic clown masks of a criminal crew pulling off complex bank robberies, armored car heists, and high-stakes burglaries.

The numbers behind the game universe highlight its massive reach:

• Player Base: Over 50 million registered players worldwide.
• Lifetime Revenue: Generated more than $400 million in gross revenue.
• Core Experience: Four-player cooperative heisting emphasizing tactical planning, stealth, and intense firefights.

What Can Fans Expect From the PAYDAY Live-Action Story?

The adaptation aims to build on the rich criminal lore and intense tactical heists that defined the games. According to statements from the leadership team, the focus will remain on preserving the gritty edge and high-stakes adrenaline of the source material rather than softening it for mass appeal.

Production priorities and core themes for the adaptation include:

• Authentic Crime Storytelling: Leveraging G-Unit’s expertise in cinematic urban crime narratives to craft complex stories centered on betrayal, conspiracy, and underworld power struggles.
• Masked Iconography: Translating the distinctive clown-masked aesthetics and high-octane heist operations directly from the games to screen.
• Character Lore: Deepening the background stories, motivations, and internal crew dynamics of the master thieves behind the masks.

The adaptation is currently in active development between G-Unit, VICE Studios, and Starbreeze, with creative teams, showrunners, and distribution platforms expected to be announced in future updates.