News of September 1, 2009
Dispute Over the Tupac Biopic: Court Sets Trial for April 2010
In September 2009, a Los Angeles court supported Amaru's claim against Morgan Creek. The dispute over the Tupac biopic was headed to a jury.
Since February 2009, Amaru Entertainment and film production company Morgan Creek had been arguing over who was allowed to make a film about Tupac’s life. Morgan Creek claimed exclusive rights and accused Amaru of breach of contract. Amaru denied that such an agreement had ever existed and accused Morgan Creek of having scared off other studios with its claim of exclusivity.
A Partial Victory for Amaru
On September 1, 2009, according to AllHipHop, a decision was issued supporting Amaru’s claim of tortious interference with business relations. The report did not specify how the court ruled in detail. A trial was scheduled for April 13, 2010. Amaru’s attorney Skip Miller said he looked forward to letting the jury decide. Speaking to rap.de, he accused Morgan Creek of pressuring people into surrendering rights that the company had never acquired.
What Came of It
A courtroom showdown did not materialize in the reports available here. In February 2011, Morgan Creek pushed the biopic forward together with Afeni Shakur, who was now involved as an executive producer: filming start with Antoine Fuqua was planned for 2011.