Dave Franco to play Vanilla Ice in an upcoming biopic on the 1990s rapper

The Vanilla Ice film, named To The Extreme, is inches away from pre-production. Photo / AP

Dave Franco has revealed he will be starring as Vanilla Ice in an upcoming biopic about the 1990s rapper.

Speaking to the Insider about his highest-profile role yet, the Now You See Me star said the movie has been in development for a while, but they are inching closer to pre-production.

The film, named To The Extreme, first came into the news in January 2019 after casting call was published in Production Weekly.

The listing said: "From a high school dropout selling cars in Dallas to having the first hip-hop single to top the Billboard charts with Ice Ice Baby, a young Vanilla Ice struggles with stardom, extortion attempts, and selling out as he makes music history."

Franco believed the film would take the tone of The Disaster Artist, an American biographical comedy-drama film directed by his brother James Franco and starring the Franco brothers as the duo responsible for the beloved terrible movie The Room.

Actor Dave Franco will be starring as a Vanilla Ice in an upcoming biopic on the 1990s rapper. Photo / Getty Images

"With [The Disaster Artist], people expected us to make a broad comedy where we make fun of [The Room director] Tommy Wiseau, but the more real we played it, the funnier and heartfelt it was — that's the tone we want for this one as well," Franco told Insider.

Franco revealed he has been spending his time in quarantine calling Vanilla Ice about the project.

"Rob is such a sweet and intelligent guy and he's been super helpful in the process of getting all the details correct and making us privy to information the public doesn't know," he said.

"Just talking to him I can't help but think about the rabbit holes I'm going to go down to get ready for the role."

Franco said currently there's no start date on the project due to the pandemic.