News of March 6, 2009
Tupac's Screenplay "Live 2 Tell" Set to Go into Production
The screenplay Tupac wrote in prison in 1995 was to be filmed in 2009. Insomnia Productions held the rights; filming was planned for late March.
While the dispute over a biopic about Tupac’s life went to court, another film project gained momentum, one that Tupac himself had conceived. On March 6, 2009, AllHipHop reported that his screenplay Live 2 Tell was set to go into production.
A Drug Boss Who Wants Out
Tupac had written the story in prison in 1995. It tells of a young, powerful drug kingpin who wants to turn his back on dealing and crime. Insomnia Productions had acquired the film rights from Afeni Shakur, who managed the estate. Insomnia, Afeni Shakur, and Preston Holmes, who had previously been involved with Hustle & Flow, planned to produce. Casting was reportedly already underway, with filming potentially starting as early as late March.
A Long Road
The schedule was too optimistic. Two years later, in May 2011, Live 2 Tell was announced again, this time with NStar Studios and a budget of eleven million dollars. In late 2012, the filmmakers then raised money for pre-production through a Kickstarter campaign.