Fellow new release, Lionsgate-Codeblack’s “All Eyez on Me,” is the weekend standout however, pulling $27.1 million in its debut weekend. Though only a third-place finish, it far surpassed analyst expectations of $17 million to $20 million, an unsurprising feat considering the industry's historical inability to properly track films targeting black audiences.
“All Eyez on Me” is the long-awaited biopic about Tupac Shakur, the Harlem-born hip-hop hit maker who, in just 25 years of life, came to define a generation through his music, acting and poetry before that fateful 1996 drive-by shooting. Starring first-time actor Demetrius Shipp Jr., a doppelganger for the “California Love” rapper, the film is titled after Tupac’s final album released before his death. It also stars Danai Gurira as his mother and former Black Panther Afeni Shakur, Kat Graham as Jada Pinkett (Smith) and Annie Ilonzeh as Kidada Jones.
A film that according to producer L.T. Hutton finally got made because of the massive success of 2015’s “Straight Outta Compton” — despite countless biopics about black musicians doing well at the box office before the film charting N.W.A’s rise — “All Eyez” is an audience favorite. Moviegoers (53% male; 62% 25 and older) gave the picture an A-minus CinemaScore. Just about every critic review however is negative, leaving the film, directed by Benny Boom and shepherded through a 20-year gestation period by former Death Row Record producer and Pac confidant Hutton, at a 24% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Claude Brodesser-Akner - New York Magazine's Vulture
10/12/11 at 10:00 AM
Almost twenty years after directing Tupac Shakur in Poetic Justice, John Singleton is in negotiations to direct a biopic about the slain rapper for Morgan Creek and Universal Pictures. The project had been set up with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, but we’re told he had difficulty casting the role of Shakur; even a nationwide talent search failed to yield candidates of which Fuqua approved. As such, Fuqua has moved on and is looking at other projects, most notably attaching himself to direct Relativity Media’s Hunter Killer, a thriller about an American submariner and a Navy SEAL team who must work together to rescue the Russian president during a military coup d'état. (Vulture also hears exclusively that Relativity is in talks with Sam Worthington to star in that production.)
Singleton, meanwhile, had also been rumored to be in the running to direct the rapidly coalescing N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton at New Line Cinema, but insiders tell us that he’s instead taking the Tupac gig after the studio said it wanted to see how rival Compton candidate Craig Brewer fares with his update of Footloose, which opens this weekend. (Our prediction: Not well. The latest NRG tracking numbers shared with Vulture show that 80 percent of moviegoers surveyed said that they were aware of Footloose, but only a little more than one in four — just 28 percent — expressed "definite interest" in seeing it. Only 6 percent of moviegoers said it would be their "first choice" at the box office.) Plus, there’s the old “bird in the hand” theory; after Singleton’s Abduction flopped, we can’t imagine too many other studio offers were forthcoming.
The Tupac script comes from Oscar-nominated screenwriters Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson (Ali, Nixon), though we’re told the most recent draft is by Brian Tucker; his neo-noir script Broken City starts shooting next month with Allen Hughes directing, and Russell Crowe, Mark Wahlberg, and Catherine Zeta-Jones starring. That project was acquired for distribution by the Fox-based New Regency only last week.
Shakur and Singleton became quite friendly during the filming of 1993’s Justice, which is readily apparent in their easy camaraderie in this brief BET Rap City clip dating from June 1994 (in which — spoiler alert! — Tupac leaves Singleton in the dust in a sidewalk sprint-off). As such, it will be intriguing to see whom Singleton plans to cast in the title role of his former friend and colleague.
Details revealed of Tupac Shakur biopic
Jeff Weiss-Pop & Hiss, The L.A. Times music blog
August 27, 2010 - 1:06 pm
Unlike the title of his George Clinton collaboration, you apparently will be able to see Tupac Shakur on the silver screen, with New York Magazine's Vulture blog reporting that screenwriters have been drafted to pen a long-gestating biopic on the legendary rapper.
Indeed, the Oscar-nominated team of Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson ("Ali," "Nixon") will team up with Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), with production reportedly to begin as soon as mid-November. According to to Wilkinson's interview with Vulture, the script will not be in "any way biopic-y," a stark contrast to a previous draft that took a more verite approach. Wilkinson's interview also reveals that the script will pivot on the final day of 2Pac's life in Las Vegas, with a series of flashbacks depicting his previous four years. As for casting, no one has yet been chosen to play the mercurial MC, with reports claiming that the producers and director are searching for an unknown.
Rivele informed Vulture that "he knew nothing about [Shakur]" before diving into research, but upon immersing himself in just about everything ever written about the rapper, "it became clear that he was essentially a 19th century Romantic poet who found himself in the 21st century ... an artist whose character is at odds with his medium ... a really sensitive, very romantic, talented young poet who also could sing, dance, and act. But the realities [of the hip-hop record business] were that he had to create this persona of the gangster."
Of course, it's pure subjectivity as to whether you accept that interpretation. Anyone well-versed in the intricacies of mid-'90s hip-hop is aware that Shakur was a protean individual who shifted between several well-defined personas. Suffice to say, one of his first rap names was MC New York, but he died repping the West Coast. And though Shakur's career dovetailed with the peak of gangsta rap, to define him as being beholden to hip-hop convention seems to underestimate the power of his personality and willful defiance.
Had he the desire, Shakur could've inevitably bucked the prevailing trends to indulge his most starry-eyed visions. By the time he was murdered, his acting career was on stable enough footing that he could have turned his back on the recording industry to write poems a la Jim Morrison in Paris. But there was a dark and glamorous appeal to the thug life and any biopic of Shakur would be well served to focus on his internal contradictions rather than external conflicts.
The interview with Rivele goes onto indicate that he believed that Shakur was in the process of breaking free from his past associations and images, an act which may have led to his downfall. Of course, it's all mere speculation. Although if you're really into over-reaching, perhaps "Tintern Abbey" and "To Live and Die in LA" aren't all that far apart.
CLICK Tupac's pic below to see all of our posts about the Tupac Biopic
Tupac Shakur Biopic ‘All Eyez On Me’ Gets Summer Release From Lionsgate’s Summit
Anita Busch, Deadline
January 17, 2017
The Tupac Shakur biopic from Morgan Creek has been given a summer release date, opening wide on June 16, 2017. Summit Entertainment is distributing All Eyez On Me, which chronicles the rapper’s life and legacy including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist and actor as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records, where he was steeped in the East Coast/West Coast rap war.
Directed by Benny Boom from a script by Ed Gonzalez and Jeremy Haft, the film stars Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac. Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Annie Ilonzeh, Dominic L. Santana, Jamal Woolard, Keith Robinson and Cory Hardrict co-star.
It seems to be a wide-open date for film as it will bow during a weekend that sees Sony’s release of the Scarlett Johansson-Zoë Kravitz-Kate McKinnon comedy Rock That Body and the wide bow of Disney’s animated Cars 3. All the films are targeted at different demographics.
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Tupac Biopic Set for Spring 2014 Shoot
by Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter
November 12, 2013
The long-gestating project has gotten the green light from producers Morgan Creek and Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films.
The long-gestating Tupac biopic has finally set a shooting date, with producers/financiers Morgan Creek and Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films announcing plans to begin principal photography on the film next spring.
The two companies held a reception for friends and supporters of the late, great hip-hop artist at the Zanzibar in Santa Monica last Thursday where producer Randall Emmett confirmed the 2014 shoot is a go.
The Tupac film was original set to start filming back in 2011 after a lengthy legal battle between Morgan Creek and the rapper's mother, Afeni Shakur. Morgan Creek had sued Shakur, claiming she had continued to negotiate for creative control of the film after signing over rights to her son's music and story. Shakur countersued, claiming she had no deal in place with Morgan Creek. But the dispute was settled out of court and Shakur is now an executive producer on the film.
Still no word, however, on who will play the slain rapper in the film or who will direct.
Read older news on the project below
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Synopsis And Character Breakdowns For Antoine Fuqua's Tupac Biopic
Katey Rich
01-19-2011
CINEMABLEND.COM
I'll never really understand why the producers behind the Biggie biopic Notorious didn't just double down and produce one about Tupac Shakur at the same time, keeping all the same actors and sets and telling the parallel stories from the different points of view. Notorious was a decent-sized hit, after all, and they could have guaranteed themselves another one six months later by getting the Tupac biopic in the can while they were at it.
But nobody listens to me, of course, so now Training Day director Antoine Fuqua is moving ahead with his Shakur biopic, opening up the casting process and revealing, via Moviehole, the synopsis of the planned film and the descriptions of all the major characters. Of course, because these characters are all real people there aren't a ton of surprises-- Suge Knight is described as "an enormous, intimidating, larger-than-life man," Tupac is "extraordinarily talented"-- but Jada Pinkett shows up in there, having befriended Tupac in high school, and that at least was news to me.
Not to beat a dead horse, but Anthony Mackie played Tupac to perfection in Notorious and I'd love to see him return to the role, but he's probably a little too old at this point to pull off a teenage Shakur, and may be ready to move on to something else. Take a look at some of the character descriptions below-- head over to Moviehole for the full list-- and tell me if you can think of any actors more perfect for the part than Mackie.
“The rise and fall of TUPAC SHAKUR is chronicled, from his days attending the Baltimore School of the Arts as a teenager, to his decision to leave his mother’s dead-end life behind and embrace the Thug Life in California, to his wild success as a rapper and his dangerous war against the East Coast scene. A true poet who was waylaid by fame’s trappings, his earliest ambition was to change the world and make a difference in people’s lives, and before his tragic murder in Las Vegas in 1996, that’s exactly what 2Pac did…”
[ TUPAC SHAKUR ]
Seen from the ages of 17 to 25, an extraordinarily talented rapper, poet, musician and actor, he grows up in the Druid Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, where he attends the School of the Arts and stands out among his classmates as a force to watch. Tupac grows up without a father, and his mother — once a proud member of the Black Panthers — struggles with crack addiction. He escapes to California with virtually nothing to his name but his beloved composition book. Well-read and intense, Tupac initially sees himself as a truth-bringer, and he wants to change the world with his music and his message. As his star rises, and he finds fame throughout the entertainment industry, his priorities change, and he grows increasingly angry and paranoid. An attempt on his life and a stint in prison alter his personality further until he fully embraces the Death Row label and all it stands for. Still, before his death in 1996, Tupac’s on the verge of another resurrection — of his music and his soul. In his rapper persona he’s a thug: tough, defiant, confident, tattooed and ripped, “pure energy, frenetic, propulsive, irresistible”; but in his personal life, especially around women like Jada and Kidada, he can be pensive, thoughtful and vulnerable…
[ SUGE KNIGHT ]
Early 30s, an enormous, intimidating, larger-than-life man with a stone countenance, never seen without his jewel-encrusted Death Row medallion or his thuggish bodyguards (all of whom are members of the Bloods), he’s the CEO of Death Row Records. At times a fearsome figure, and at other times a paternal, calming presence, Suge is proud of his authentic history; he grew up in Compton and built his label with his own hands, without any help from anyone. He believes that he and Tupac are kindred spirits, and he tries to lure Tupac away from Interscope. Suge gets his chance when he bails Tupac out of prison. Their legendary contract is signed on a napkin…
[ AFENI ]
Seen from early 30's – 40's, Tupac’s mother, a strung-out wraith, emaciated by crack, she’s struggling to raise three kids on her own in the ghetto. Afeni was once a proud, dignified member of the Black Panthers. Arrested for supposedly participating in a terrorist conspiracy, she stood up to her accusers in court, eloquently refuted their claims, and won. Her legacy is something that young Tupac wishes to emulate, so her fall from grace is tough on him. After her son leaves Baltimore and becomes a star, Afeni manages to clean up her act, and by the time Tupac is facing a prison sentence of his own, Afeni is there to support him as a strong, healthy woman again…
[ MAURICE "MOPREME" SHAKUR ]
Seen from his early to late 20s, with glasses and a goatee, he is Tupac’s half-brother who grew up with Tupac in Baltimore and eventually moves out to Oakland, California, to live with Tupac. A performer in his own right, Mopreme was the first to enter “the game” of music and he believes in creating a persona that’s separate from one’s real life. After Tupac gets shot, Mopreme tries to raise bail, and he’s concerned when Suge steps in; he doesn’t trust Suge and he’s also troubled by Tupac’s East Coast/West Coast war. The brothers’ once-close relationship is shattered when Suge turns the two young men against one another…
Updates On Antoine Fuqua’s Tupac Biopic…
By Tambay, on February 11th, 2011
Shadow & Act
Looks like this ship is moving full-speed ahead…
We already know Antoine Fuqua is working on a Tupac biopic. We also know that he would like to cast unknowns in several of the starring roles (Tupac, Marion “Suge” Knight, Jada Pinkett and Kidada Jones – both women reportedly will feature very prominently in the film; both women dated Tupac early in his career).
Fuqua said he was prepared to “go to the streets” to find his stars.
Morgan Creek Productions announced today that principal photography is scheduled to begin in late Spring/early Summer on Antoine Fuqua’s long-in-gestation biopic, to be titled, simply, Tupac.
The film will be shot on location in Los Angeles, New York, Georgia and Las Vegas and is currently being cast.
“I am confident that Morgan Creek will stay true to the common goal we share of depicting Tupac’s life in a way that will allow the world to see the authenticity of his artistry, his hopes, and his life goals,“ said Afeni Shakur-Davis. She will also serve as executive producer on the project.
The screenplay was written by Steve Bagatourian (American Gun), Stephen J. Rivele (Ali, Nixon) & Christopher Wilkinson (Ali, Nixon). Universal Pictures will distribute.
The official synopsis for the highly-anticipated film reads, “The rise and fall of Tupac Shakur is chronicled, from his days attending the Baltimore School of the Arts as a teenager, to his decision to leave his mother’s dead-end life behind and embrace the Thug Life in California, to his wild success as a rapper and his dangerous war against the East Coast scene.”
We should know who are actors are very soon, so stay tuned… _________________________________________________________
Online Casting Contest In The Works To Find Tupac Lead
By Cynthia, on February 14th, 2011
Shadow & Act
Looks like the casting process for new Tupac biopic being helmed by Antoine Fuqua and backed by Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakar, will get a little more interesting in a few weeks.
If you have some great acting chops and can spit a rhyme, you may have a chance to play the slain rapper in the film.
Morgan Creek Productions/Universal Pictures, Fuqua and Skee.tv have joined forces to create an online casting contest in an effort to find the right person to play Tupac.
Up-and-coming black actors will get a chance to upload their video and fans will get to vote on their favorite. This casting campaign will kick off later this month.
Now obviously, this is a great way to garner some publicity for the upcoming project and keep the anticipation, for the film and the winner of the contest, at a fever pitch.
So this might be the perfect time to call that cousin of yours–who swears he’s the reincarnated Tupac–and tell him to step up to the plate and put his talents to the test!
Some of the great info above from the great website Shadow & Act
Cool Black’s Mad Commentary: I totally agree with Fuqua casting unknowns in this movie. There are SO MANY talented actors out here and most studios are only looking for “a name”. Frankly the best thing about the Biggie movie (Notorious (2009) Read my review here ) was the unknown star Jamal Woolard. The biggest “name” in the film Angela Bassett wasn’t even all that great.
So far so good on the direction of this picture.
UPDATE:MARCH 2013
Antoine Fuqua: 'Tupac Biopic Is Still On Track'.Read it here
