Janelle Monáe to Star as Notorious Bank Con Artist Tanya Smith in Film Highlighting Her $40 Million Scheme

Janelle Monáe is preparing for the role of a lifetime, portraying real-life con woman-turned-author, Tanya Smith.

Universal Pictures has secured the rights to Smith’s memoir, “Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System — and Pocketed $40 Million.” Monáe will star in and produce the film through her Wondaland Pictures.

Smith, serving as an executive producer, is the legendary mastermind behind what has been dubbed “one of the single biggest threats to the entire United States banking system.” Her story, described as a heist thriller, also serves as “a powerful examination of systemic prejudice and economic inequality.”

A teenage hacker turned financial genius, Smith orchestrated multimillion-dollar heists before turning 18. When the FBI finally closed in, they allegedly “refused to believe a Black woman could be the architect of such sophisticated crimes.” In response, she devised an even bolder plan, outwitting federal agents while amassing a $40 million empire in cash, diamonds, and gold. But, as the film’s official release states, “her success attracted deadly, and soon Smith found herself dodging both bullets and badges.”

Smith was originally sentenced to 13 years in the late 1980s and was re-sentenced to 24 years after breaking out of prison. She was eventually released in 1999. Smith expressed her excitement about the film on Instagram.

“For so long, I’ve carried the weight of being underestimated. This movie represents more than just a film – it’s proof that your potential isn’t defined by where you come from or others’ expectations. It’s about who you are and how hard you’re willing to fight,” she wrote in the post.

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