A new trailer has been released for All Eyez on Me, the upcoming biopic that promises to delve into the life of iconic rapper, activist and sometime actor Tupac Shakur.
Directed by Benny Boom, it depicts Tupac’s childhood experience with the Black Panthers, the revolutionary group of which his parents were members.
As he grows up, we see the rapper struggle with his desire to unite the black community, while simultaneously being drawn into violence.
When it was announced that Demetrius Shipp Jr had been cast in the lead role, much was made of the actor’s striking resemblance to the rapper. This trailer shows Shipp Jr kitted out in Tupac’s nose stud, chains and bandana, his uncanny resemblance making that weird Coachella hologram seem all the more ridiculous.
Jamal Woolard, who first played Tupac’s frenemy Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious B.I.G. in the 2009 film Notorious, looks to be another inspired piece of casting.
The film’s production was beset by multiple delays and legal issues. Antoine Fuqua was the first high-profile name attached to direct, but was replaced by John Singleton in 2014.
Singleton eventually left the project, taking to Instagram to announce, “the people involved aren’t really respectful of the legacy of Tupac Amaru Shakur,” and citing a legal dispute with Shakur’s mother as a major factor for his departure. He was replaced by another director before Boom finally landed the gig.
All Eyez on Me takes its title from the rapper’s fourth album, released in 1996. Shakur was only 25 years old when he was killed later that year.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery, and fan conspiracies have since focused on his imminent resurrection – all eyes are on Shipp to see if he can live up to this mammoth task.
Published 7 Apr 2017
By Thomas Hobbs
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