50 Cent was all smiles as he departed Sydney on Saturday after shooting scenes for the upcoming Street Fighter reboot, according to photographs and reports. The rapper and actor, born Curtis Jackson, has been in Australia to film parts of the movie and was seen preparing to board a long-haul flight.
Jackson, who is slated to play the character Balrog in the new adaptation of the Capcom video game series, cut a casual figure at the airport. He wore a light-grey sleeveless puffer jacket over a white hoodie with a black, graffiti-style print, light khaki pants and white Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. He also sported a white skullcap beneath a dark blue New York Yankees baseball cap, and was pictured wearing earbuds and holding a mobile phone as he moved through the terminal.
Photographs show Jackson accompanied by an assistant and pausing briefly to speak with a fan, who was wearing an Eminem singlet. The interaction was cordial, with Jackson engaging the fan before continuing toward a waiting car and his flight.
The Street Fighter reboot will feature an ensemble cast that includes Jason Momoa, Noah Centineo, Orville Peck and Eric André alongside Jackson. The project adapts characters and storylines from Capcom’s long-running fighting-game franchise; Jackson’s role as Balrog will place him among several high-profile actors attached to the film.
Jackson has an extensive entertainment résumé beyond music. He has sold an estimated 30 million albums worldwide and has appeared in films including the semi-autobiographical 2006 feature Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He also starred in and served as an executive producer on the Starz series Power.
Jackson’s visit to Australia and role in the new film come amid recent scrutiny over social media conduct. In February, after the death of music executive Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo Jr., Jackson posted images on Instagram that many users criticized as mocking the executive’s death. The post included a photograph of Jackson seated next to a tombstone marked “RIP” while appearing to smoke a hookah and the caption, "I'm smoking on dat Gotti pack," followed by "nah God bless him LOL." The post also included a photo of Lorenzo, who died at age 54.
Responses to the post were largely critical. Commenters on the platform called the post inappropriate and invoked Jackson’s near-fatal shooting in 2000 as context for their reactions. Fellow rapper Bobby Shmurda also weighed in, writing, "Yo, this thing is crazy, son."
Representatives for Jackson and for the Street Fighter production did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The film’s production schedule and release date have not been fully detailed publicly; Jackson’s departure from Sydney indicates that at least some principal photography has taken place on location in Australia.