Tupac is finally getting his own biopic.
The deceased rapper is arguably the most respected rapper in music history. Tupac Shakur aka 2Pac released four albums between 1991 and 1996 and was embroiled in the West Coast vs East Coast rap feud before getting shot to death in a drive-by shooting at 25-years-old. His life was interesting and ripe to be adapted to film.
On Monday, the second teaser for the Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me was released.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZlXHAbX3TY
The movie has few things going for it. Lead Demetrius Shipp Jr. is a dead ringer for Tupac. It looks like he was brought back to life. Notorious B.I.G. being played by Jamal Woolard is also encouraging as Woolard nailed the role in 2009’s underrated biopic Notorious. All Eyez on Me also seems very relevant in today’s society.
The not so good: The behind-the-scenes production issues have clearly bled into the film’s quality. All Eyez on Me has been under production since 2011, experiencing multiple problems in finding a permanent director (three directors departed the project before Benny Bloom signed on) and hitting a licensing issue with usable music. When issues were finally dealt with, the film was rushed into production shooting in just two months. From the trailer, Shipp Jr.’s acting is barely B-movie quality. All Eyez on Me isn’t a B-movie, however, with an estimated budget of $45 million. Something just feels off about the entire preview.
Still, it’s about time Tupac got a biopic. His life was fascinating and will give All Eyez on Me plenty of great source material. The rapper’s film resurrection doesn’t have a release date but according to the teaser trailer, it’s coming soon.
