After several delays over the past two-and-a-half years, the long-awaited Tupac Shakur biopic is officially set to begin filming in 2014. The date was confirmed at a reception held by the film’s production companies, with producer Randall Emmet making the official announcement. The biggest hurdle in the project’s development was a dispute between Shakur’s mother Afeni Shakur, and the film’s production company, Morgan Creek.
A lawsuit was filed over creative control, but was eventually settled out of court. Morgan Creek sued Afeni, claiming she had signed over the rights to her son’s music, as well as his likeness and story; only to attempt to continue negotiating for creative control of the project. Now that the dispute is behind them, Afeni Shakur has been named executive producer of the film.
It was announced previously that the biopic would be produced by James G. Robinson, David Robinson, L.T. Hutton, Randall Emmett and George Furtla. It will be filmed in Atlanta and press releases have stated that the project will focus on 2Pac’s “politically charged lyrics, inspired by his parents’ activism as Black Panthers in the ’60s and early ’70s,” as well as how his music “condemned governmental intrusion in black communities.”
The film’s primary cast has yet to be revealed.
