Between 1998 and 2001, some of the most well-known wrestlers of all time called Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling home at one point or another. Icons like Sting, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and countless others made the promotion one of the top two companies in the industry and allowed it to go head-to-head with Vince McMahon’s WWF.

Years before WCW branched out on its own and became a standalone wrestling promotion, it was known under various other names like Jim Crockett Promotions and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, a vast network of territories in every corner of the United States (and abroad). And just like wrestlers who found success in both WWE and WCW, dozens of greats kicked all kinds of butt in both eras, including these guys… 

Sting

Few wrestlers are as tied to the WCW brand as Sting, a man with his fair share of career highlights over the years. Years before Ted Turner took his company out of the NWA’s network, Sting found success wrestling all over the territory system including Jim Crockett Promotions, where he took on the likes of Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen.

Ric Flair

Ric Flair, considered to be one of the four faces on the Mount Rushmore of Wrestling, was a mainstay of both the NWA and WCW after the company branched out on its own. With multiple championship reigns, historic feuds, and some of the best promos of the ‘80s, Flair was the top dog of the NWA. After a short stint in the WWF, Flair returned to WCW in the mid-1990s where he stayed until the promotion’s final days in March 2001.

Dusty Rhodes

Though he never won the WWE Championship, the late, great Dusty Rhodes etched out a great legacy for himself thanks to his work in both the NWA and WCW. A workhorse of the territory system, “The American Dream” would find similar success in WCW throughout the 1990s, as a wrestler, manager, and even commentator for a time.

Arn Anderson

Arn Anderson, one of the greatest minds in the history of the sport and a core member of the Four Horsemen, was a killer in the NWA’s different territories throughout the early-to-mid-1980s, including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. After a short stint in WWF near the end of the decade, Anderson went to WCW, where he remained a fixture until the company’s 2001 demise.

Tully Blanchard

Though he wouldn’t have a long run in WCW like his fellow Four Horsemen Arn Anderson and Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard did wrestle the late Terry Funk in a 1994 match. That came after nearly a half-decade of dominance in the NWA alongside Anderson, where the two won multiple tag championships.

Scott Hall

Long before the late Scott Hall came to WCW in 1996 and changed the trajectory of the company, he got his start in Championship Wrestling from Florida, the NWA’s territory in the Sunshine State. After a four-year run in the American Wrestling Association, Hall would go to WCW for a cup of coffee a couple of times before breaking out as Razor Ramon in WWF.

Barry Windham

Barry Windham, who would later go on to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the U.S. Express, found success in WCW, both when it was a member of the NWA system and after its departure. Windham famously wrestled as part of Sting’s Squadron in the WarGames match against The Dangerous Alliance at WrestleWar ‘92.

Mike Rotunda

Mike Rotunda, the father of the late Bray Wyatt, has had runs in just about every wrestling promotion of prominence throughout his career. A fixture of Championship Wrestling from Florida, Rotunda would leave the NWA system for WWF in 1984 and later returned to WCW on multiple occasions in the final decade or so of the 20th century. 

Rick Rude

Rick Rude went just about everywhere throughout his relatively brief career, including multiple stints in WCW. Jim Crocket Promotions, Championship Wrestling from Florida, WWF, and even the Von Erichs’ World Class Championship Wrestling were some of the places this ravishing wrestler called home over the years.

Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat

Even if you take out all the great things Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat did in the WWF, he still had a remarkable career that included some of the best matches in NWA history. From his days in Championship Wrestling from Florida to his long tenure in Jim Crockett Promotions before leaving to put on possibly the best WrestleMania match of all time to return to WCW in the early ‘90s, he did it all.

Terry Funk

Considering he only stopped wrestling a little more than a half-decade before he passed away in August 2023, it should be no surprise that Terry Funk wrestled at least one match in every major promotion. This includes iconic runs in All Japan Pro Wrestling, the WWF, and of course multiple stints in WCW and various NWA territories. He was simply one of the best and hardest-working names in the business. 

Dory Funk Jr.

Dory Funk Jr. spent the better part of three decades going from territory to territory in the NWA system starting back in 1963. He continued to wrestle all over the world throughout his career and even showed up in WCW on a handful of occasions.

Cactus Jack

Cactus Jack, the hardcore persona adopted by Mick Foley in promotions like WWE, ECW, and various Japanese companies, was one of the most extreme members of the WCW roster in the early 1990s. But the man out of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, also technically wrested for NWA, as WCW was still part of the territory system when he went down south in 1989.

Butch Reed

When the name Butch Reed comes up, it’s hard to think back to his days in Mid-South Wrestling or the WWF, but the brawler out of Kansas City, Missouri, also had some memorable days in both the NWA and WCW. From his days of running around the territories to a short stint in Ted Turner’s company, Reed had some memorable matches against the sport’s biggest stars.

Magnum T.A.

Magnum T.A., whose in-ring career was cut short after a 1986 car accident, was one of the go-to hands in the NWA’s territory system throughout much of the ‘80s, wrestling on pretty much every corner of the country. Even after the accident that led to his early retirement, Magnum was a prominent figure in the business and worked various angles in WCW up until the mid-1990s.

Harley Race

Harley Race, the man who once put a $25,000 bounty on Ric Flair’s head to prevent the “Nature Boy” from taking his NWA Championship, is one of the toughest wrestlers to ever step into the ring. In addition to spending decades in the territory system, Race also spent some time in WCW, where he was a jack of all trades.

Curt Henning

Curt Henning, one of the best to ever do it, was a staple of AWA, the WWF, and WCW at various points in his career. He also had a short stint working in NWA territories like NWA St. Louis, Central States Wrestling, and various others throughout his time in the ring. Henning wrestled what would be his final match before his 2003 passing with NWA Total Nonstop Action.

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper

If you want to see Roddy Piper put on one of the best matches of all time, go back and watch his bloody Dog Collar match against Greg Valentine at NWA’s Starrcade ‘83. Though Piper would leave the territory not long after and join the WWF, he would later return in sorts during the twilight of his career when he joined WCW.

'Dr. Death' Steve Williams

You can put “Dr. Death” Steve Williams on the list of toughest wrestlers, as his beast of a man ran roughshod on everyone who came in his path in various territories, international promotions, and even WCW. Near the end of his career, Williams returned to WCW where he oddly enough wrestled Jerry Only from the Misfits.

The Road Warriors

Stars wherever they went, the Road Warriors, will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic tag teams in wrestling history. Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Animals (Joe Laurinaitis), with their signature facepaint biker gang look, pulled off their feared Doomsday Device in various NWA territories, WCW, WWF (as the Legion of Doom), and the AWA throughout their time together.

'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, the first man to win the Royal Rumble in WWF, was an icon of Mid-South Wrestling, WCW, and other promotions throughout the final decades of the 20th century, but he didn’t technically work for the NWA until his time with TNA back in 2003. 

The Fabulous Freebirds

The Fabulous Freebirds, a game-changing stable that dominated the wrestling scene throughout the 1980s, made an impact in several NWA-controlled territories and WCW, among other promotions. Pretty much, if there was a hot promotion anywhere in the continental United States, Michael P.S. Hayes, Buddy Roberts, and Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy were going to turn it into Badstreet, U.S.A.

The Great Muta

The Great Muta, the legendary Japanese wrestler who was inducted into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame, is one of the most recognizable figures in all of wrestling. Though he’s mostly remembered for his work in NJPW and AJPW, Muta was one of the most exciting imports to the NWA territory system in the 1980s. He would also make various appearances in WCW throughout the 1990s, where he took on the likes of Ric Flair, Larry Zybysko, and his longtime rival, Sting.

Junkyard Dog

Junkyard Dog, also known as the King of New Orleans, was one of those wrestlers that could make the Irish McNeil Boys Club feel like the Louisiana Superdome while also making Texas Stadium feel as intimate as the Sportatorium, he was that good. JYD had a few stints in NWA territories before and after his WWF run in the mid-’80s, and he would also wrestle for WCW up until the early ‘90s.

The Midnight Express

The Midnight Express, which consisted of the likes of Dennis Condrey, Randy Rose, Norvell Austin, and Bobby Eaton over the years, was a group that found success all over the country. With runs in various NWA territories, WCW, WWF, and beyond, this Jim Cornette-led tag team was a sight to see.

Nikita Koloff

Nikita Koloff, one of the greatest “Russian” wrestlers (he was from Minnesota), was a staple of the NWA through his work with Jim Crockett Promotions throughout much of the 1980s, so it wasn’t surprising when he showed up in WCW several years later.

The Rock 'N' Roll Express

The Rock 'N' Roll Express, which consists of Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton, is one of those tag teams that just screams “1980s,” with their signature glam-rock attire. This successful duo has pretty much wrestled everywhere from NWA territories to the WWF to state fairs and indie promotions around the country dating back more than 40 years.

Ron Simmons

Before he went to WWE and created the Nation of Domination and APA as Farooq, Ron Simmons established himself as one of the most dominant and successful names in the NWA system. A fixture of Jim Crockett Promotions (and later WCW), Simmons made history in 1992 when he became the first African-American World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Vader.

Stan Hansen

Stan “The Lariat” Hansen, often considered the most successful gaijin in Japanese wrestling history, is someone you definitely wouldn’t want to face in a fight. This tough-as-nails, no-nonsense butt-kicker killed it in NJPW, AWA, WCW, WWF, and AJPW, which was recognized as a member of the NWA system. Basically, he made men cry in just about every timezone on the planet.

Ted DiBiase

Ted DiBiase, aka, “The Million Dollar Man,” is mostly associated with his legendary WWF run, but that’s just a part of his story. A fixture of Bill Watts’ Mid-South Wrestling, a prominent figure in various NWA territories, and a steady hand in Japan, DiBiase was no chump. And though he didn’t wrestle for WCW, his work as a manager, commentator, and fourth member of the NWO added to the product.

Big Van Vader

Big Van Vader, who was surprisingly agile despite his massive size, was one of the most dominant and athletic big men in the history of the sport. Before going to WWF, Vader made a name for himself both in Japan and with WCW, where he took on everyone from Sting to Ric Flair and other top-tier talent. The late icon would later work with NWA Total Nonstop Action for a short time in 2003.

Lex Luger

A prominent figure in Championship Wrestling from Florida and Jim Crockett Promotions, Lex Luger was one of the most promising up-and-coming stars of 1980s wrestling. Luger, who would go on to have a great run in WWF, returned to WCW in 1995 in one of the most consequential moments of the Monday Night War and ‘90s wrestling history when he popped up in the first episode of Monday Nitro.

Honestly, this list could have kept going and going, but we had to stop it somewhere. 

Ethan Carter III, better known to wrestling fans as EC3, will headline the NWA 75th Anniversary Show on Sunday, August 27th, with a highly anticipated Bullrope match. But it's not so much the kind of match that's most important, but rather his opponent, as he'll be facing World Heavyweight Champion Tyrus, with whom his professional wrestling story is tightly connected as both friends and foes.

In the lead-up to his main event match of the two-night supershow from the historic Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri, I chatted with EC3 in an intense conversation that touched upon everything from the former NWA National Heavyweight Champion’s decision to relinquish his title for a shot at the big belt to what his future holds, win or lose come Sunday. One topic that understandably came up multiple times was his personal history with fellow NXT and Impact Wrestling vet Tyrus, who’s agreed to retire if he drops his championship.

When discussing the upcoming fight, EC3 drew from the years he and Tyrus have spent together in the wrestling business, either as allies or rivals. And when asked what makes the NWA Heavyweight Champion different from his other opponents in the past, he said:

Despite their differences, issues, and betrayals in the past, EC3 was unwilling to call Tyrus his enemy, instead describing him something as a friend:

However, EC3 knows he has a job to get done in order to be the first athlete to beat Tyrus since the monster hell champion first won the NWA World Championship in November 2022. As the challenger’s biggest fight yet since joining the promotion last year, the match could end with EC3 not only taking the belt from his longtime friend and rival, but ending his career outright. 

The double stipulation of the upcoming match – the Bullrope and Tyrus’ career being on the line – stem from an interview the World Heavyweight Champion gave with the official NWA Instagram account back in July 2023, a conversation in which he explained putting his career on the line was the only way he knew EC3 would agree to having their hands being connected by a strap.

If EC3 is successful, and he’s able to defeat Tyrus, he’ll accomplish what so many others (such as fellow former WWE superstar Chris Adonis) failed to achieve earlier this year. And with that would come another belt-notch on his incredibly successful wrestling career, one that includes multiple championships around the world, several turns in WWE, and the formation of his own promotion.

Though EC3 and Tyrus will be the biggest match of the weekend, it’s not to say there aren’t some major bouts on the rest of the NWA 75 card. Night One will see NWA World Women’s Champion Kamille defend her title against Natalia Markova in a “No Limits Match,” the return of former WWE superstar Matt Cardona, and the Aron Stevens-led Blunt Force Trauma challenge La Rebelión for the NWA World Tag Titles, with the winner of that match facing off against the team of Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch the following night. Other Night Two will also see multiple other championship bouts in the Junior Heavyweight, NWA National Heavyweight, and World Women’s Tag Championship divisions.

NWA 75 will be held in the Khorassan Ballroom at the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri, and can be watched live on FITE TV starting 7 p.m. EDT, Saturday, August 26th, with the second night of matches kicking off the same time Sunday, August 27th. 

Check out the NWA website for more information on NWA 75, as well as all future shows scheduled to take place throughout the rest of the year.

The NWA’s Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament is one of the most prestigious competitions in the wrestling business. Over the years, legendary team-ups like the Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff and the late Dusty Rhodes, and Sting and Lex Luger have won the Crockett Cup, and in a few short days, ex-WWE superstars Trevor Murdoch and Mike Knox — known as Knox & Murdoch — plan on adding their names to the history books.

Ahead of the sixth annual Crockett Cup, Knox & Murdoch sat down with CinemaBlend to talk about the upcoming tournament. And during our conversation, Murdoch said participating in the tourney is “almost like fate” for the pair of 25-year veterans:

For Murdoch, getting a chance to prove to the world that he and Knox are the best tag team in the business, and on a well-established platform like the NWA event, is a really big deal. Even if there was an extended gap between the first three '80s-set tournaments and its 2019 revival, it's still a classic that means so much to wrestling fans. 

You can bet that Mike Knox is equally excited about participating in the Crockett Cup, which will be his second appearance. (He partnered with VSK as The Cardonas for the 2022 tournament, losing on Night 2.) In Knox's words:

Unlike most of their opponents in the 2023 Crockett Cup, Knox & Murdoch’s run as a tag team has been quite brief, having only started up in March, when Knox came in and saved Murdoch from Daisy Kill and Talos' beatdown. Prior to that, the current teammates were bitter rivals, having faced off in a series of brutal matches when Murdoch was still the NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion.

But after his first tag team match with Knox earlier this year, Murdoch knew he and his new battering partner were onto something:

Over the past couple of months, Knox & Murdoch have made up for lost time, and have been working together extensively to become a cohesive unit. And if all goes well during tournament weekend, the pair of former WWE superstars plan to take their act to promotions like AEW, Impact, AAA, NJPW, and wherever else to prove they are the best team in the business.

Near the end of our conversation, I asked which team Knox & Murdoch would like to face if they had a time machine. Without hesitation, Murdoch yelled out Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody, two of the all-time greats of professional wrestling. Whether they were wrestling in the United States, in Japan, or Puerto Rico (where Brody was stabbed to death in 1988), the two larger-than-life wrestlers could give and take a whoopin’ like nobody’s business. Alas, we'll have to rely on our imaginations to envision how that match would have gone.

While we will never get to see Knox & Murdoch take on Hansen & Brody, wrestling fans around the world will be able to watch the 2023 Crockett Cup when it airs live 8 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday on FITE PPV. 

It has never been easier to watch professional wrestling, thanks to promotions like WWE, AEW, NJPW, and multiple others having massive TV deals, their own streaming services (or hubs like the WWE Network on Peacock), and very active social media channels that are constantly posting clips, interviews, and even full matches. But, with so much wrestling out there in the wild (and so many world champions), it can sometimes be hard to make sense of it all, especially if you’re just getting into watching wrestling. 

To help make sense of the madness, we have put together a quick yet comprehensive guide of pretty much everything you need to know about professional wrestling, including the major promotions, their biggest moments and champions, how to watch all the biggest shows, and, finally, a brief glossary of wrestling terms that’ll make you sound like a seasoned and well-versed smart mark. 

WWE

WWE is undoubtedly the biggest professional wrestling promotion on the planet, even if its executives say it’s a “sports entertainment” business. Here is a rundown of the company’s history, champions, major events, and how to watch weekly and monthly shows. The company is in uncharted waters after merging with Endeavor in April 2023.

The 5 Most Important Things To Know About WWE's History

• WWE was founded by Vince McMahon’s father as Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1953, later becoming WWWF, then WWF, before being renamed WWE in 2002.
• WrestleMania I (1985) forever changed professional wrestling from both a presentation standpoint and culturally.
• WWE, then-WWF, reached new heights with the Attitude Era in the late 1990s thanks to the “Austin 3:16” promo and “Montreal Screwjob.”
• The WWE Network Was Launched In 2014, creating a new era of wrestling in the process.
• WWE is in the process of being sold to Endeavor, the company that owns UFC.

Who Are The Current Champions In WWE?

• Undisputed WWE Universal Champion - Roman Reigns
• World Heavyweight Champion - Seth "Freakin" Rollins
• Raw Womens’ Champion - Asuka
• SmackDown Women’s Champion - Rhea Ripley
• Intercontinental Champion - Gunther
• United States Champion - Austin Theory
• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions - Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions - Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

What Are WWE's Major Events?

• Royal Rumble (January) 
• WrestleMania (April)
• Money in the Bank (July)
• SummerSlam (August)
• Survivor Series (November)

How To Watch WWE

All of the major WWE premium live events listed above, as well as other monthly shows, are available to anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription in the United States. If you live outside of the country, the WWE Network will be your best bet.

WWE also produces Raw and Smackdown, which air live Mondays on USA Network and Fridays on Fox, respectively. If you don’t have a cable subscription, you can watch both shows with a Hulu subscription the day after they air on TV.

AEW

All Elite Wrestling, commonly known as AEW, was founded in January 2019 by Tony Khan along with the help of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), and Cody Rhodes. It has since become WWE’s biggest competitor since Vince McMahon’s 2001 purchase of WCW. The promotion has had some major ups and downs the past few years, including the seemingly never-ending CM Punk saga.

The 5 Most Important Things To Know About AEW's History

• The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes put on the biggest indie wrestling show of all time with the All In pay-per-view in September 2018, which led to AEW’s formation.
• AEW launched the weekly wrestling show called Dynamite on TNT in October 2019, the first wrestling show on the network in nearly 20 years.
• CM Punk debuted in AEW in August 2021, seven years after walking out on WWE.
• AEW teamed with NJPW for the Forbidden Door mega show in June 2022.
• AEW is scheduled to hold a show at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London in September 2023.

Who Are The Current Champions In AEW?

• AEW World Championship - MJF
• AEW Women’s World Championship - Toni Storm
• AEW International Championship - Orange Cassidy
• AEW TNT Championship - Wardlow
• AEW TBS Championship - Kris Statlander
• AEW World Tag Team Championship - FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)
• AEW World Trios Championship - House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, Buddy Matthews)

What Are AEW's Major Events?

• Revolution (March)
• Double or Nothing (May)
• AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door (June)
• All Out (September)
• Full Gear (November)

How To Watch AEW

There are a couple of different ways to watch AEW pay-per-view events, both the traditional method through your cable or satellite provider and Bleacher Report PPV, which allows you to stream the quarterly events through an app.

The company also puts on multiple weekly TV shows, including AEW Dynamite, Wednesdays on TBS; AEW Rampage, Fridays on TNT; and AEW All Access, a reality TV show that airs Wednesdays on TBS. The AEW YouTube channel also hosts weekly shows like AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation, if you want to check out the company without signing up for cable.

Other Wrestling Promotions

WWE and AEW are the two biggest promotions in wrestling today, but they aren’t the only major companies. Below is a list of some of the most popular wrestling companies along with a brief description of their style or significance.

• NJPW (A more hard-hitting style of wrestling)
• Ring of Honor (Independent promotion that launched the careers of today’s stars)
• Impact Wrestling (Formerly known as TNA)
• NWA (A wrestling promotion that was once the governing body of multiple territories)
• Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (A famous Mexican wrestling promotion)
• Game Changer Wrestling (Independent promotion known for its deathmatch style)
• Pro Wrestling Noah (Japanese promotion specializing in the “King’s Road” style)
  

A Glossary Of Common Wrestling Terms

There are a lot of different wrestling terms and phrases that don’t make a whole lot of sense for the uninitiated, which can make things confusing for new fans. Though we can’t piece together every term, this glossary should help you out tremendously.

• Angle - A storyline involving two or more wrestlers
• Babyface (or Face) - The good guy
• Card - The order of matches on a show
• Gimmick - A wrestler’s character
• Heel - The bad guy
• Kayfabe - Keeping up the illusion that wrestling is real
• Loser Leaves Town  - A match in which the loser has to leave the territory or company
• Promo - When a wrestler gives a speech
• Squared Circle - Another name for the ring
• Stable - A group of wrestlers on the same team
• Territory - A regional wrestling promotion

This should be more than enough to set you on your professional wrestling path, at least as a fan. Now that you know about the various companies and how to watch the product, there’s nothing getting in your way. But make sure to keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule to see when other wrestling-centric shows are coming out this year.

When the opening bell kicks off the NWA 312 main event Friday night in Illinois' Highland Park, fans will see Chris Adonis, the ex-WWE superstar who came up as Chris Masters, trying to capitalize on having reinvented himself as a wrestling journeyman. Adonis will not only be trying to defeat NWA World Heavyweight Champion Tyrus, but the veteran of the squared circle will also be vying to cap off what he has called his “personal story of redemption.”

Leading up to one of the biggest matches of his career, Adonis sat down with CinemaBlend to discuss the enormity of his quest to earn and capture one of the most prestigious titles in all of professional wrestling, one held by the likes of Ric Flair, Lou Thesz, the late Dusty Rhodes, and so many other legends. In addition to being on the potential cusp of securing the gold and having his named etched into the history books, Adonis also sees this is as the “exclamation point” on his redemption. Here's how he put it:

Adonis opened up about the path that led him to this point in his career, as our conversation revolved around the NWA 312 event and its stacked card, which features more than a half-dozen championship bouts, as well as the promotion’s biggest stars.

The road to NWA 312 hasn’t been without its ups and downs, but Adonis isn’t one to let his past get in the way of capturing figurative glory and the literal World Heavyweight Championship. In fact, the trials and tribulations he's faced have only further inspired him to reach greatness:

If Adonis is able to take down the 375-pound monster that is Tyrus on Friday night, and can wrap the prestigious belt around his waist, he says he will be “the best NWA Champion” he can be, and will bring that superlative verve to every city, state, country, and continent on the planet as a classy and prestigious champ.

But if he comes up short and is unable to bring down the wrestler formerly known as Brodus Clay, he will be obsessing over it every day until he gets his next shot because all roads lead to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Though the much anticipated main event championship match between Chris Adonis and Tyus is surely the big draw for NWA 312, Friday’s pay-per-view event is just one of nine contests on the stacked card.

Other notable matches include NWA World Women’s Champion Kamille taking on La Rosa Negra, NWA National Heavyweight Champion Cyon defending against EC3, other title opportunities, a host of tag matches, a battle royale, and an exhibition match between WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray and Thom Latimer.

Check out the official NWA 312 poster below:

NWA 312 will be held at Studio One in Highland Park, Illinois, and can be watched live on FITE TV starting 10 p.m. EDT, Friday, April 6th. A free pre-show will be available on the NWA YouTube channel starting at 9 p.m. EDT. 

Check out the NWA website for more information on Friday’s event, as well as all future shows.

For decades, the world has known Ice Cube for decades as a prolific rapper, a high-grossing movie star, and a successful media mogul. For today's rap stars, his career has served as the blueprint for crossing into other entertainment ventures. As viewers know, he started as one-fifth of the seminal West Coast rap group N.W.A. before leaping to film with Boyz n the Hood. Of course, it was the cult classic Friday that shot him to Hollywood superstardom. While music and movie stardom have paid off for him, it turns out the legendary hip-hop star's career could’ve gone in a wildly different direction.

The Barbershop star opened up about the alternate career path he could've taken during an interview Architectural Digest. Apparently, before N.W.A.’s seminal album, Straight Outta Compton, dropped, Ice Cube (whose birth name is O'Shea Jackson) was preparing for life as a college co-ed. The multihyphenate mentioned he had enrolled at Phoenix Institute of Technology to get his college degree. But his courses weren’t related to music or film:

Who would’ve thought Ice Cube had an interest in architecture? Of course, his tale isn't too unusual, as many college students have found themselves signing up for classes at the last possible minute. While it was all about choosing the lesser of two evils for the rap icon, the drafting class wasn’t a complete bust. As he later explained, it taught him a valuable lesson:

Taking the principle of architectural design and applying it to his entertainment career proved to be a genius move on his part. Any structure must have a plan before construction can commence and, oftentimes, there are multiple phases a building must go through before even ground can even be broken. Apparently, the entertainer wanted that type of structure in his quest for superstardom.

It goes without saying that having structure has proven to be valuable in Ice Cube’s multifaceted career. The rap legend has been making huge contributions to movies for years by displaying all of his talents. He's also produced many of the movies that he's starred in. But for many, the Friday franchise remains arguably his biggest contribution to cinema, and he's eager to make another movie in the series. Though the project has faced setbacks, like Chris Tucker's decision not to return as fan-favorite character Smokey.

Ice Cube may have been great at designing homes or repurposing a local downtown areas, but I'm glad that we have his body of work. Right now, it’s unclear what he has coming up since he exited his buddy comedy with Jack Black, Oh Hell No, with Jack Black. As you wait for updates on his next project, check out what's going on with this year’s upcoming movies.

With Straight Outta Compton currently dominating the box office, director F. Gary Gray not only reaffirmed the enduring viability of the biopic, but also showed that hip-hop and rap as Hollywood subject matter can have widespread appeal. Now it seems one of the men who brought hip-hop to the mainstream in the first place will get a biopic of his very own.

Deadline reports that a movie will be produced chronicling the life of Los Angeles disc jockey Greg "Mack Attack" Mack during the birth of modern hip-hop. When others wrote the music genre off as a passing fad, Mack championed up-and-coming rappers, establishing himself as a music pioneer when his station – 1580 KDAY – became the first ever 24-hour rap station in the United States. Starting off as an AM channel, Mack’s humble AM station has developed an enduring legacy – transitioning to FM in 2004 and still plating classic hip-hop to this very day.

The film will be based on Mack’s as of yet unreleased autobiography, and he will have a direct involvement in the project as an executive producer. Mack appeared as a minor character in Straight Outta Compton – portrayed by the film’s director F. Gary Gray.

A film exploring the life of Mack makes sense; during the rise of N.W.A – the group upon which Straight Outta Compton is based -- he acted as one of their biggest champions. His story is one of a man who fought behind the scenes to ensure that artists could have their voices heard by the masses in a serious, thoughtful way.

Greg Mack also proved instrumental in the discovery and rise of numerous other rappers including, but not limited to, MC Hammer, LL Cool J and Queen Latifah. His story parallels that of N.W.A in the way the black community fought to carve out an identity for themselves in an era where their art was not taken seriously by the mainstream media. At this early stage it remains unclear if the film will span his career, or focus in on one specific era of his life.

Straight Outta Compton’s mainstream success – coming in at $60 million in its opening weekend – not only proves the existence of an audience for this type of film, but also creates a valuable marketing opportunity. Nobody expected Compton to do as well as it did, so Mack can now be framed as the man who brought N.W.A to the world. The struggle of black culture in America remains relevant as well, so much like Straight Outta Compton, his film will have the opportunity to tackle some tough questions and subject matter.

Greg Mack’s autobiography will hit bookshelves by the end of 2015, with the film upon which it takes inspiration already in development.

Straight Outta Compton emerged as the number one movie in America during its opening weekend, and it helped push Universal past the $2 billion mark at the domestic yearly box office, making it the fastest studio to reach that mark. But you know who’s not all too happy about the film? The real MC Ren. The original member of N.W.A. spoke out about his depiction in the film, and, according to him, it wasn’t accurate.

On the Saturday the 15th, the rapper tweeted the following:

Aldis Hodge of A Good Day to Die Hard and The East portrayed MC Ren in Straight Outta Compton, and his character definitely took a backseat in relation to the other members. The film really focused on Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell).

MC Ren, whose birth names is Lorenzo Jerald Patterson, doesn’t seem too thrilled about this, as he was a major part in writing the lyrics for the group. For example, though he was only featured as a guest rapper on Eazy-E’s solo debut, Eazy-Duz-It, he wrote most of the lyrics. And following Ice Cube’s departure from N.W.A., Ren went on to take over the lyric writing duties, including all the jabs at Cube, accusing him of cowardice and betrayal. However, the main focus of this portion of the film was the controversy between Cube and his former group.

DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) was similarly portrayed as a supporting player, but, in the film’s defense, there was a lot of material covered in the two-and-a-half-hour movie. For better or worse, this probably explains why certain aspects were glazed over.

A couple of months ago, Ren similarly vented his frustrations with the film on Twitter. He wrote:

In his defense, he wasn’t wrong. The Straight Outta Compton trailers did feature little of Ren, and he didn’t stop at those harsh words.

Funny enough, the real Ice Cube and Dr. Dre helped produce the film, so I wonder if Ren was hinting at his former group members when bashing the filmmakers. Maybe there are still some hurt feelings over the feud.

In case you missed it, Universal’s epic run at the box office continued this weekend as N.W. A. biopic Straight Outta Compton took on all comers and emerged victorious. One issue many, including our own critic, had with the film is that there is so much material that some elements were barely touched on, skimmed over, or left out completely. But when a director’s cut drops, you can expect to see a lot more.

The cast and crew sat down for an extensive conversation with Rolling Stone, and director F. Gary Gray revealed that the initial cut of the movie was more than an hour longer than the already two-hour-and-twenty-seven-minute version that hit theaters. Talking about how they arrived at the theatrical cut, Gray said:

This is perhaps the biggest issue facing biopics across the board. Even if your subject lived a boring existence—and then why are you making a movie about this person?—fitting the details of an entire life into a single movie is hard. Some things are going to be left out. And when you’re dealing with a group comprised of five people, those problems are compounded even further.

That appears to be the biggest issue that many have with Straight Outta Compton, that after a strong start it falls into typical biopic skimming over the surface of events. Gray did say that he expects his version, his director’s cut, to get a home video release eventually, and even hinted at what we could see.

Gray added that one thing the longer gut will address is the group’s notoriously shoddy treatment of women—an issue that is present both lyrically and in real life. N.W.A. did write a song called "A Bitch Iz A Bitch after all, which stirred up quite a bit of controversy, and this article details some of member’s issues with violence against women over the years.

Despite omissions, Straight Outta Compton has received largely positive reviews from critics, who have praised everything from the music and performances to the realistic portrayals of the racial tension and struggles faced by African American performers trying to succeed without compromising themselves. The film obviously connected with audiences. It’s $56 million opening weekend take was bigger than the $55 million Tom Cruise had with Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation, and damn close to the $57 million Marvel managed with Ant-Man. Straight Outta Compton also had the biggest opening of any music biopic ever, by a long ways—the previous high water mark in that realm was Walk the Line, which opened with $22 million.

Straight Outta Compton is in theaters now.

Straight Outta Compton, F. Gary Gray’s N.W.A. biopic, hit theaters and quickly became the number one movie in America. It even broke a record for Universal, making it the fastest studio to surpass the $2 billion mark in a year at the North American box office. Better still, it has the respect of (most) critics and audiences alike.

That’s not to say that it’s not without its hangups. Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella, and Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, the film tracks the rise and fall of the iconic hip hop group. That alone is a lot of material, and Straight Outta Compton attempts to deliver it all in the span of 2 hours and 27 minutes. As I wrote about in my review, it leaves certain moments in the story un-fleshed out, but the performances and the impact of the story remain strong.

If you didn't see Straight Outta Compton this past weekend, I strongly suggest you do. If you need further convincing, here are some of the film’s major draws.

1. The Music

To celebrate the release of Straight Outta Compton, the real Dr. Dre released an album titled Compton, which, by the way, was streamed 25 million times on Apple Music over the course of its debut week. However, the film itself heavily features the music of N.W.A. and will likely prompt fans to revisit their old albums after hearing them on screen. It starts with Dre recording the group’s first track, "Cruisin’ Down Tha Street" (though it takes him a little while to grasp the flow of the lyrics), and the song that spawned the film’s title, "Straight Outta Compton." Through montages of the characters writing and recording tracks, we hear more of the music that made the group famous, but "F— the Police!" is one of the more poignant musical moments in the film. Gray does an excellent job in portraying the racial climate of the time and the plight of African Americans dealing with the oppressive police force. It all comes to a climax when the group performs the song on stage in Detroit.

2. Its Present Day Connection

Speaking of the racial climate, it’s no secret that this era was marked by racism. As shown in the film, militarized police raided homes on a regular basis, shown in the film when a young woman is brutally struck by an officer, patrol cops regularly discriminated against those who looked "ghetto" or "gangster," and many used brute force to detain African Americans on the street. While the story of N.W.A. played out, the 1991 versions of these characters were watching footage on TV of Rodney King, a taxi driver, beaten by a circle of police officers wielding batons. The uprisings and protests that followed draw a direct line to the present day, where we’re dealing with the aftermath of tragedies surrounding Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and Sandra Bland. For N.W.A., "F— the Police!" became a rallying cry against this oppression, a war that's still going on.

3. The Performances

O’Shea Jackson Jr., the real life son of Ice Cube, makes his film debut in Straight Outta Compton, playing his father, no less. He underwent a two-year-long audition process before his hard work paid off and Gray gave him the part. It was all well worth the effort. Though Jackson doesn’t have other credits to his name, he truly embodies his father’s mannerisms and finess in the various stages of his life. It’s rare that an actor gets this opportunity, and the resemblance is equal parts striking, eerie, and effective. That’s also not to discredit the performances delivered by Hawkins and Mitchell. Like Jackson, Hawkins embodies the swagger, for lack of a better term, of Dr. Dre, especially in his older years as he becomes a more confident and powerful figure. Mitchell, on the other hand, delivers an emotional portrait of Eazy-E’s final months after realizing he contracted HIV. He later died of complications with AIDS.

As I mentioned before, the amount of material covered in Straight Outta Compton could be broken down into a trilogy of films. Even so, Gray and his actors successfully depicte a harsh time to be an ambitious musician of color, as well as the overarching racially-tempered climate of the age.

This weekend saw the release of F. Gary Gray’s rap-infused biopic Straight Outta Compton, and the high-profile drama has inspired lots of conversations and memes over the past few weeks. One of the strangest ways in which the film got referenced was on a recent local news report, in which a weatherman decided to tell people exactly what N.W.A. stands for in his world. Check it out.

If there was an award for Worst Explanation for an Abbreviation, KCRA Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan could win it multiple years in a row for this outstandingly ridiculous display, which he got from his “trusty weather dictionary.” In case you missed it, Finan said the rap group’s name stands for “Nice morning, Warmer, And it’s Friday.” I think there are cornball grandfathers and uncles out there that would be 100 miles and runnin’ from that joke, which almost bears repeating again just so we can all continue to stare agog at our computers and phone screens. Nice morning, Warmer, And it’s Friday.

The most amusing part of the video, of course, isn’t the goofy N.W.A. gag, but the way in which Sports Director Del Rodgers reacts to it. We all know what N.W.A. actually stands for – and all it takes is a quick trip to Wikipedia to find out that the “N” is a word that white people generally don’t use while on a live news broadcast – and you just know that Rodgers wasn’t quite sure what to expect. So much so, that he can’t keep a straight face for the rest of the segment and couldn’t stop chuckling.

I imagine he kept thinking about how to incorporate Finan’s words into N.W.A. songs, like “Real Nice Morning Don’t Die,” and “Nice Morning 4 Life.” I look forward to a future KCRA broadcast where one of the anchors explains how 2 Live Crew’s “We Want Some Pussy!” is actually about adopting kittens from shelters, and that Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothing to “flip houses” with.

Meanwhile, it’s all sunshine and breezy weather for the real N.W.A. (or at least the version shown in the movie), as Straight Outta Compton was enjoyed by a ton of people this past weekend and brought in over $56 million in its debut. And not only was it a money-maker, but it’s captured the hearts and minds of critics as well. Even Eazy E’s daughter had some nice things to say about it. Watch it.

Biopics can prove challenging at times; the difficulty lies in striking the right balance between accuracy, respect, and narrative drama. After watching Straight Outta Compton – a new biopic about the rise of rap group N.W.A and her late father Easy-E – E.B Wright has a strong opinion towards the film – and it’s a positive one.

In a recent interview with NBC News, Wright praised Straight Outta Compton's depiction of the formation of N.W.A – especially noting the exemplary performance of actor Jason Mitchell. She said:

However, despite her praise for the film, she has taken umbrage with certain details. On her Twitter account she made note that the film omitted several important aspects of her father’s storyline – such as his discovery of rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – in favor of a focus on Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. From an artistic standpoint, she also voiced her opinions as to what songs should have played during pivotal moments in the film.

Her reservations notwithstanding, she still proclaimed that Straight Outta Compton effectively told the overall story of N.W.A, and expressed pride towards the completed project. She also noted on her Twitter that while Straight Outta Compton makes for excellent drama, she currently has an N.W.A documentary of her own – titled A Ruthless Scandal: No More Lies – in development.

She’s not alone in her opinion, as Straight Outta Compton has become a surprise hit, raking in a box-office gross of $56 million in its opening weekend – the highest ever for a musician biopic. Straight Outta Compton really had a lot going against it; with the film’s events – and many of those who partook in them – still alive in recent memory, the filmmakers had to tread lightly with regards to balancing accuracy with respect for those involved. Many biopics, such as 2008’s W, don’t take a hard enough look at those they portray, and end up falling flat. When we consider this, along with the necessary extra security at screenings, and the tough, relevant social questions posted by the film, it’s impressive that it has done so well.

Straight Outta Compton hit theaters on August 14 and has spent the weekend at number one.

Straight Outta Compton hits theaters this August 14, and while the film focuses on the origins of the trailblazing hip hop group N.W.A., it also features portrayals of some other legendary rap icons. We know that Snoop Dogg, Warren G., and Suge Knight will be represented, but it’s only now that we’re finally getting confirmation on who will play the legendary Tupac Shakur. Folks, meet Marcc Rose, the virtually unknown up-and-comer who will fill those large shoes.

Ice Cube, a producer on the film and one of the original members of N.W.A., posted a photo to Instagram to commemorate what would have been the icon’s 44th birthday. (Tupac died at the age of 25 on September 13, 1996 after suffering multiple gun shot wounds in a drive-by shooting.) In the update, he mentioned shooting a Tupac scene for Straight Outta Compton. Following that teaser, Entertainment Weekly received word from Universal that Rose plays the rapper in the film. As you can see, he holds a strong resemblance to Tupac.

The role of Rose’s Tupac in Straight Outta Compton is currently unknown. Rumors began swirling a while back that Rose would play Tupac an the upcoming biopic, to be directed by Boyz n the Hood helmer John Singleton. The actor posted photos of the two of them together with captions saying how much Rose has been learning from the filmmaker. However, EW debunked that rumor, stating that he is not currently signed on to the project.

Straight Outta Compton features O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella, and Aldis Hodge as MC Ren. They’re joined by Sheldon A. Smith as Snoop Dogg and now Rose’s Tupac. F. Gary Gray, the man in the driver’s seat for films like Friday, Set It Off, and The Italian Job, directs the film with original N.W.A. member Dr. Dre producing alongside Ice Cube. Watch the trailer for the film below.

Some of the original N.W.A. members -- Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella -- will reunite onstage at the BET Awards on June 27 ahead of the film's release. Dr. Dre is not currently scheduled to appear, but as Ice Cube told Rolling Stone, "you never know."

The response to the first Straight Outta Compton trailer was mostly enthusiastic. Director F. Gary Gray looks like he’s created an arresting, authentic, and unflinching biopic that presents the roots of seminal hip hop group N.W.A. in a pulsating manner. However, there is one man who found himself ever so slightly peeved by the trailer: MC Ren, who was an original member of N.W.A. but was completely left out of the first look at the film.

MC Ren was so annoyed by his omission from the first Straight Outta Compton trailer that he decided to take to Twitter on Wednesday to showcase his ire. And he insisted that Universal are trying to rewrite history with their interpretation.

Ren wasn’t quite done with his outcry, though, as he continued his diatribe by blasting pretty much everyone who is involved in the film. In fact, he insisted that their oversight proves that the people behind the film don’t know anything about hip hop. But to make his point a tad more emphatic he dotted a few expletives in there, too.

There’s no denying the fact that MC Ren does kind of have a point with his grievance. The first trailer for Straight Outta Compton made it look as though Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube were the only creative members of N.W.A., and that Paul Giamatti’s Jerry Heller then took the group under his wing and brought them to a mainstream audience. In fact, not only do we not get to see Aldis Hodge’s portrayal of MC Ren, but we’re not introduced to Neil Brown Jr.’s DJ Yella, another founding member of the group, eitehr.

Straight Outta Compton chronicles the origins and history of N.W.A., arguably the most influential hip hop group in the history of American music. The title is taken from the title of their 1988 studio album, and it is due to blast into cinemas on August 14, 2015.

As much as things change, they stay the same. Almost thirty years ago, N.W.A. shot to fame rapping about the drive by shootings, gang wars and random violence in Compton. Last week, the group’s much hyped biopic, Straight Outta Compton, was interrupted by that very same violence after gunfire erupted just off the set.

According to TMZ, the production was filming at the Compton Courthouse when some locals not affiliated with the production got into some kind of confrontation. Witnesses are claiming gang signs were exchanged, but the police are being a lot more vague. Either way, people in a nearby car opened fire, hitting one person with a bullet before speeding away. Fortunately, the victim was taken to the hospital quickly and survived his injuries.

No one involved with the production was injured, but everyone involved is reportedly pretty shaken up, specifically because the production is scheduled to continue filming in Compton for the forseeable future. That level of random violence might have been something the guys in the original group were used to, but it’s definitely outside the comfort zone of the most of the people working on the movie.

The neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, particularly Compton, played a key role in the rise of N.W.A. Fueled by a weird mix of community pride, a frustration with the rampant local problems and an almost pathological need to rise above and get out, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy E (plus MC Ren and DJ Yella) formed in 1986 and broke out on the backs of their first LP Straight Outta Compton, released in 1988. They largely pioneered a new style of gangster rap and pushed many social issues to the forefront of American culture. They also pissed off a lot of people in the process, including each other, and eventually imploded amidst royalty disputes and a whole lot of animosity.

They may not have sold the most albums or earned the most critical praise, but the group was incredibly important both musically and socially. They pushed the culture in a completely different direction and launched two gigantic stars in Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Had Eazy-E survived (he died of AIDS in ’95), it probably would have been 3 huge stars too.

Despite the frazzled nerves, Straight Outta Compton isn’t expected to be delayed in any meaningful way by the shooting. It’ll hit theaters on August 14, 2015. I can't promise the film will be good, but it's a pretty safe bet that the music will be.

Hollywood is a tough place to try and land work. Often, casting agencies are looking for specific appearances, and if someone doesn’t fit the idea they’re looking for, they’re simply discarded and told to move along. Some of this is natural, of course, but now and again, these calls can go so hyper-specific and stereotypical, they can start to seem judgmental and offensive. Take for instance, a casting call that just went out for the upcoming NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton.

The notice has since been pulled, but Gawker was able to transcribe the entire thing before it was removed. In it, the agency asks for women between 18 and 30 to sort themselves into four different categories, based on their level of attractiveness and apparently, socioeconomic appearance.

You can take a look at an excerpt below, take special notice of Group D…

Casting agencies should be allowed to get as specific as they want. If they want to cast a half Japanese, half Indian dude that’s over seven feet tall with exactly four tattoos, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to do that. In fact, very few people are complaining when they get that specific. The problem here is they’re clearly trying to cast a large number of girls who could pass for poor chicks from the neighborhood, but instead of asking for that, they describe what they think poor girls look like. In some cases, they’re right. In other cases, they’re wrong. Anyone who has ever been to South Central, Los Angeles can tell you there is not one skin type or one size.

We have no idea if Ice Cube or anyone else outside of the casting agency had anything to do with this casting call. More than likely, they didn’t. Director F. Gary Gray likely told all involved to find girls who could have lived in South Central during the late 80s and early 90s, and that’s how they decided to send out the word.

I’m not particularly invested in Hollywood becoming as politically correct as possible, but there’s a difference between portraying realism and passing on stereotypes.

After losing Michael B. Jordan, the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton has at long last found its three leads, and the film's first look shows them off alongside the men they're playing. In the photograph up top, you'll see (clockwise) Ice Cube, Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray, Dr. Dre, Corey Hawkins (as young Dr. Dre), Jason Mitchell (as the late Eazy-E), and O'Shea Jackson Junior (as young Ice Cube). Dr. Dre and Ice Cube also serve as producers on the project, which will focus on the early days of N.W.A on the 1980s streets of Compton, California.

Straight Outta Compton could be a great opportunity to launch the careers of these three largely unknown actors, who'll have a chance to set the world on fire when Universal Pictures releases the music-pumped biopic on August 14th, 2015. In the meantime, let's get to know the men behind these roles, and see how well they stack up physically against their real-life inspirations.

First up, playing Dr. Dre, we've got Corey Hawkins, a Washington, D.C. native who made his first gig at the age of 9 when he sang at Showtime At The Apollo. He went on to earn a Bachelor's in Drama at the prestigious Julliard School, and made his film debut in 2012 in the little known thriller Allegiance. Since then, he scored supporting parts in Non-Stop and Romeo and Juliet. But Straight Outta Compton will be his biggest role yet.

Jason Mitchell will be portraying N.W.A. member Easy-E, making Straight Outta Compton his fifth film. However, to be fair, he's had bit parts in crime dramas like Texas Killing Fields as well as two Mark Wahlberg vehicles, Contraband and Broken City. His other feature was a lesser-known Jean-Claude Van Damme flick called Dragon Eyes, meaning Straight Outta Compton is his most major opportunity to date.

Lastly, we've got O'Shea Jackson Jr, whose name should be familiar to hardcore N.W.A. fans. Notice a family resemblance between him and Ice Cube? You should. O'Shea Jackson Jr is the oldest son of Ice Cube, born O'Shea Jackson. Straight Outta Compton will mark Junior's screen debut. Ice Cube reportedly lobbied hard to get his first born the role of his younger self. While Junior doesn't have any acting credits prior to this, he has had a lifetime of observing the man he's now meant to play. We'll find out in little more than a year if Cube was right to cast him.

The NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton ran into some serious trouble last month when Michael B. Jordan - who had been eyed to play a young Dr. Dre - had to walk away from the project due to his commitments to Josh Trank's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. The folks at Universal Pictures and the filmmakers behind the musical drama have been searching hard for not only a replacement, but also two more actors who could play Ice Cube and Eazy-E. Now it appears that the production has found its leading men.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the NWA biopic has finally been given the greenlight out of development hell and that Straight Outta Compton has found its stars. While audiences have become somewhat familiar with Michael B. Jordan thanks to his roles in movies like Chronicle, Fruitvale Station and That Awkward Moment, the studio ultimately decided to go for three relative unknowns to play they the members of the California rap group in the film. Perhaps the most well known of the group is 23-year-old O'Shea Jackson Jr., who is Ice Cube's son. The 22 Jump Street star apparently lobbied hard to get his boy the part, and as a result Jackson has been enlisted to portray his father. Joining him will be Marcus Callendar - a newcomer who has a role in the pilot of the new HBO series Criminal Justice - as Dr. Dre, and Jason Mitchell - a New Orleans-based performer who played parts in Broken City and Contraband - as Eazy E. Cube (duh), Dre and Eazy-E's widow Tomica Wright have all signed off on the casting and have approved the production moving forward.

Even though Universal is only putting together Straight Outta Compton's cast now, weirdly enough the film has technically been in production for a good amount of time now. As THR explains, the studio organized a sequence to be filmed in Los Angeles this past spring in order to qualify for a California film tax credit, and the clock has been running ever since. Casting reportedly took longer than expected because Wright was a hold out for a while, but that's obviously no longer the case. Now that all of the principal performers are in place, the plan is to have cameras rolling again "in less than two months."

F. Gary Gray, who worked with Ice Cube making Friday all the way back in 1995, is attached to direct the movie, having not helmed a film since 2009's Law Abiding Citizen. The screenplay has gone through many hands, including those of Alan Wenkus, S. Leigh Savidge and Andrea Berloff, but the most recent work has been done by Jonathan Herman (which apparently got the Universal "excited" about Straight Outta Compton's potential). It's been previously reported that the NWA biopic could come out some time in 2015, and if the film is able to keep to the current production schedule than that sounds totally feasible.

The NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton has run into a serious snag, and Fantastic Four is to blame. Michael B. Jordan, who set haters aflame when he was cast as Johnny "The Human Torch" Storm, was being eyed to play a young Dr. Dre in the drama about the trailblazing rap group. However, Fantastic Four's shooting schedule has made him unavailable. Now producers are scrambling to find a cast to play teen-to-twenty-something versions of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and the late Eazy-E.

THR reports Jordan was a casting choice favored by Dr. Dre himself. He and Ice Cube are serving as producers on Straight Outta Compton, along with Eazy-E's widow, Tomica Wright. All three of these producers clearly have a vested interest in how NWA is presented in the film, and part of their powers include casting approval. But with Jordan out, there's no clear runner-up. An insider told THR:

Universal is developing Straight Outta Compton, but it's a slow-going process. The project has not yet been greenlit, and none of its major roles have been cast. In an unusual move, this has not prevented the NWA biopic from shooting. Possibly in hopes of taking advantage of California's film tax credit, a sequence of the could-be movie was shot in Los Angeles recently. What kind of sequence can be shot when you don't have any of the leads cast? It turns out a post-credit sequence wherein the real Dr. Dre and Ice Cube talk about the legacy of NWA.

This month the producers of Straight Outta Compton will go before Universal to pitch why the project should get the greenlight. But with open casting calls going out all over Los Angeles and Gardena to find suitable young actors, it's not looking good. Making matters more complicated is a lean budget of $25 million that will make it even more difficult to attract a star, even if one could be thought of.

If you have any suggestions of who could play Dr. Dre, Ice Cube or Eazy-E, sound off in comments. It seems like Straight Outta Compton's filmmakers could use all the help they can get. We'd suggest Attack the Block's John Boyega, but of course, he's going to be pretty busy with Star Wars: Episode VII.

Straight Outta Compton, director F. Gary Gray’s planned biopic of early-day gangster rap superstars N.W. A., might have found new life over at Universal.

The studio has entered negotiations to pick up the project with Gray attached, says The Wrap. Andrea Berloff’s script would document the formation of the group, which introduced the world budding rap stars like Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Easy E. According to the trade, the screenplay will dig into many of the controversial subjects that plagued the group, from its fights against censorship as it released songs like “Fuck the Police” to Easy E’s losing battle with AIDS. Compton reportedly will follow the group from its first days, and go all the way through Ice Cube’s solo career and the formation of Dre’s Death Row Records.

Rap fans don’t have very many musical biopics they can call their own. Filmmakers are starting to explore major players in the industry, leading to movies like George Tillman Jr.’s Notorious. But an N.W.A. biopic absolutely needs to happen. They are the closest thing to “founding fathers” the gangster rap genre has, and a movie celebrating their accomplishments is in order.

It’s encouraging to hear that Universal sees the need to this story, because Straight Outta Compton has had a rocky pre-production road. The director once had an open casting call back in June to find unknowns capable of playing larger-than-life figures like Dre and Cube. But the film has been on the backburner for months. These developments are encouraging. There’s a solid story waiting to be told here, and it’s cool that Universal is giving F. Gary Gray the chance.

Think you have mad rap skillz? Do you look a little bit like a young Ice Cube or a teenaged Dr. Dre? Than director F. Gary Gray might be able to use you for his N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, so het your headshot down to Hollywood, pronto.

Gray Tweeted the casting call for his Compton picture, seeking young talent (age 18-25) to play the members of the controversial yet groundbreaking L.A. rap group. Gray apparently is going with newcomers for the key roles, as the casting sheet says available parts include Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Yella and MC Ren. There’s a Gmail address on the sheet for people to send video auditions, so if you want to be considered, check it out.

Casting unknowns is the only way to go with a Compton movie. No one in the Hollywood system has what it takes to nail the roles of such volatile artists as Cube, Dre and Eazy. There was even a rumor at one point that the sons of the famous rappers would rise up to the challenge and play their fathers on screen. That could work, though nothing has come of that rumor to date.

These are career-defining roles for a young talent, though, and Gray’s making a very smart decision by going with newcomers instead of trying to force a recognizable young actor into a role just because they might help sell a ticket or two.

Gray has been circling this N.W.A. film for months. If casting is underway, pre-production and shooting can’t be too far off. We’ll keep you posted on details, but in the meantime, if you think you have what it takes to play a member of N.W.A. in their prime, audition. You’ve got nothing to lose.

We’ve seen a lot of rappers take their chances at acting over the years, starting as far back as Marky Mark Wahlberg, whose rapping career now pales in comparison to what he’s done on screen. Other rappers-turned-actors include Mos Def, Common, Ludacris... the list goes on and on. We’ve gotten rap “origin” stories from Eminem and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who have each played versions of themselves on the big screen to tell their story, but theirs' is part of a whole that was birthed by one rap group and one rap group alone--NWA.

If you aren’t familiar with NWA, let me give you a brief summary. Containing members such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Easy E, NWA gave birth to gangster rap, giving rap music a harder edge from their south central LA hometown of Compton. The group grew as did their problems, and internal turmoil caused them to break up, which created a whirlwind of violent politics and lyrical insults the likes of which we just don’t see anymore.

Many of NWA’s members found solo careers, and Ice Cube even found success as an actor. Now there’s talk of a movie chronicling the ups and downs of NWA’s troubled life cycle, and the film may even star the rappers’ children playing the roles of their fathers. TMZ caught up with Dre outside an LA restaurant while he was signing some autographs for a fan and asked about the film. He didn’t confirm that it would be their children playing the roles, but he said that they were talking about it and they’d see what happened.

Dre, Cube, and Easy E all have children and who better to play the parts than people who already look like their parents? The as-yet-untitled NWA film is a long way out, but when it finds the screen rest assured it’ll give you a whole new perspective on rap music and where it came from. These guys changed everything. Here’s the video of Dre giving the brief details.