Van Peebles: '50 Cent a dream to direct'

Mario Van Peebles has said that 50 Cent was a dream to direct in Things Fall Apart.

The director and actor has revealed that the rapper's dedication to the role as an American football player who is diagnosed with cancer impressed him tremendously.

Speaking to Vibe, Van Peebles said: "50 was not at all what I expected. 50 is a really focused, bright, disciplined, affable cat. In terms of directing him, he’s a dream. He had to lose a lot of weight for this role. So we shot the first part where he weighs 214 pounds and then he got down to 160 pounds."

As for the drama's potential reception, he added: "It’s an independent film but I think it’s going to have a big African-American audience. It’s also a story that’s going to interest all backgrounds... It’s a heavy film."

Things Fall Apart is expected to be released early in 2011.