Having initially majored in film at the University of Toledo before dropping out, Cudi ventured into acting in 2009, when he was cast in the HBO series How to Make It in America.

Cudi went on to appear in several feature films, including Goodbye World (2013), Need for Speed (2014), Entourage (2015), Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020), and Don't Look Up (2021).

Mad Solar would also produce the critically acclaimed horror X (2022), which Cudi starred in, and its prequel Pearl (2022) and sequel MaXXXine (2023).

In March 2022, Cudi revealed he would be making his feature directorial debut with the Netflix film, Teddy, a project he’s also written and in which he’ll star.

Fellow American musicians Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel would serve as executives on the film, which was also produced by Bron Studios and Cudi's Mad Solar banner.