Multi-hyphenate Janelle Monáe is set to star as Tanya Smith in the upcoming film adaptation of Smith’s memoir, Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System — and Pocketed $40 Million. Monáe will also produce the film through her company, Wondaland Pictures.
The film is described as a heist thriller that offers “a powerful examination of systemic prejudice and economic inequality” and follows Smith’s journey from being a teenage hacker to becoming “one of the biggest threats to the entire United States banking system.”
Get this: by the time Smith—who is also an executive producer on the project—was 18, she had already spearheaded multiple heists, stealing millions of dollars while keeping law enforcement on high alert. When the FBI finally caught up to her, they allegedly “refused to believe a Black woman could be the architect of such sophisticated crimes,” according to an official press release for the project. In response, Smith orchestrated a heist worth $40 million, including cash, diamonds, and gold bars.
Based on the press release, “her success attracted deadly enemies, and soon Smith found herself dodging both bullets and badges,” which ultimately led to her facing one of the longest sentences for a white-collar crime in history. However, Smith prevailed, representing herself in court and winning her freedom.
Deadline reported Smith’s memoir details her career as a con artist and was an Amazon Editor’s Pick, a Barnes & Noble Best Nonfiction Book of 2024, Apple’s Best Audiobook of 2024, and one of The New York Times’ Best Books of the Summer.
Universal Pictures has also acquired the film rights to Britney Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me; Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him; Percival Everett’s James; and Stacey Abrams’ Rules of Engagement.
Universal Studios’ senior vice president of production development, Ryan Jones, and director of development, Tony Ducret, will oversee the project.