Morgan Creek’s languishingUntitled Tupac Shakur Projecthas been given a new lease on life, with the studio hoping to getproductionstarted this year.The Hollywood Reporterreveals that Benny Boom (Next Day Air) is in talks to direct, replacingCarl Franklin, who was attached to direct this summer. If principal photography doesn’t start by the end of this year, Morgan Creek will loseTupac Shakur’s music rights, which will revert back to his mother,Afeni Shakur.
The production company has tried to get thisTupac biopicoff the ground for several years, withAntoine Fuqua(The Equalizer) set to direct back in 2011, thenJohn Singletoncoming aboard in February 2014. This April,John Singletonbacked out, after working on the script for quite some time, which had originally been written by Steven Bagatourian, Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson.John Singletonalso offered a parting shot on Instagram in April, claiming the producers aren’t “respectful of his legacy.”
It isn’t known if Morgan Creek is moving forward with the script thatJohn Singletonworked on, or if they have brought in a new writer since then. The project hit another stumbling block last month when co-financiers Emmet/Furla filed a $10 million lawsuit against Morgan Creek, claiming the studio breached a production agreement by selecting a lead actor and setting a budget and production schedule without Emmet/Furla’s approval. Back in 2009, Morgan Creek also suedAfeni Shakurover her son’s life rights, which she responded to with a $10 million cross-complaint. The lawsuits were settled and she is now an executive producer.
This biopic comes on the heels of Universal’sStraight Outta Compton, which has taken in over $200 million worldwide from a $28 million budget.Tupac Shakurbriefly appears as a character in thatbox officehit, played by Marcc Rose, and he was previously portrayed byAnthony Mackiein the 2009 biopicNotorious, which centered on another slain rapper, The Notorious B.I.G.. Much like The Notorious B.I.G.,Tupac Shakurwas murdered at the age of 25, and neither of their murder cases have been solved.
Benny Boom only has two feature film credits to his name, 2009’sNext Day Airand the 2011 direct-to-video sequel S.W.A.T. Fire Fight. He is best known for his work in commercials andmusic videos, directing videos for artists such asNicki Minaj, Lil' Wayne andMeek Mill. Are you glad that theUntitled Tupac Shakur Projectis finally moving forward?
