Crackle signs up 50 Cent for two original series

Perennial Engadget CES interview Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has found new pastures for his foray into movies. Instead of just making direct-to-video projects with Val Kilmer and Bruce Willis, his G-Unit Film and Television is working on a few shows with Sony's ad-supported streaming service Crackle. The Oath (no, not the Verizon/Yahoo amalgam) is a scripted series focusing on gang subcultures while RPM is about a used-car salesman who's a getaway driver by night. Variety reports that those are working titles, but there's little else to share at this point.

With Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee moving to Netflix, Crackle is looking to fill the gaps Jerry Seinfeld left in its lineup. The service is also working on original videos as a partnership with Mashable and A.V. Club publisher Fusion Media Group. But even then, whether or not the new programming can set Crackle apart from other services with seemingly endless pockets is up in the air, despite how many big names may be involved. If it doesn't end up working out for 50, he always his headphone empire to fall back on. As for Crackle, the Dead Rising universe is ripe for more stories.