Helmer seeks legit hit

Writer-director Cess Silvera is in talks to direct rapper T.I. in “Grand Hustle.”

Silvera, who scripted the drama, also is weighing offers for “Shottas 2,” a film he’s written and will direct that would be a sequel to a film never released. Among the most aggressive suitors is Paramount, which acquired “Hustle & Flow” at Sundance.

In a cautionary tale about film piracy, “Shottas” was stolen before Silvera even finished editing it. Referred to as the Jamaican “Scarface,” “Shottas” became such an inner-city bootleg sensation that it won the best picture and actor prizes at the Source Awards.

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“Wyclef Jean was scoring as I was editing, and he called and asked if I could look around because one of the rough cuts was missing,” Silvera recalled. “Two weeks later, I get a call that ‘Shottas’ is the biggest-selling bootleg in Times Square. I remember wanting to jump off the highest building.”

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Silvera, who said he has never recouped a penny of the $1.2 million he put together to fund “Shottas,” said he’s been told that as many as 2 million bootleg copies circulated. He hopes that will translate into a built-in audience for the sequel, which should cost less than $5 million to make.

Locked and loaded

“If we come in with a sequel and can keep it under wraps, the audience should be there. I’m going to make sure I keep my gun on the table while I am editing it.”

Silvera may not be kidding about the gun. He is admittedly a reformed bad-ass, and “Shottas” was his detour from a ruinous road.

“It was a desperation move, because I was close to either prison or death, and didn’t like none of those two options,” Silvera said. He and his brother, Keith Dean, wrote the script in two days and were shooting two weeks later, Silvera said, adding, “You don’t want to know how I financed it.”

Ever since, Silvera has been busy learning the craft by directing videos and features. Silvera and manager Dave Phillips hope to sign a sequel pact that will allow Silvera to finally release his cut of “Shottas,” either in a limited theatrical or legitimate DVD release.

Silvera just directed the screen debut of Jayceon Taylor (aka rapper the Game) in “The Millionaire’s Boys Club.”

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