News of February 11, 2011
Morgan Creek Announces Production Start for Tupac Biopic Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Filming in Los Angeles, New York, Georgia and Las Vegas: In February 2011, the Tupac biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua was finally set to begin.
After years of delays, production company Morgan Creek announced a schedule in February 2011 for the feature film about Tupac’s life. According to a press release reported by industry outlet Deadline and subsequently by Complex, filming was scheduled to begin in late spring or early summer 2011. Antoine Fuqua, known for Training Day, was attached to direct.
From the Rise to Death Row
The still-untitled screenplay was written by Steve Bagatourian, Stephen J. Rivele, and Christopher Wilkinson; the latter two had previously co-written the script for Ali. The film was set to chronicle Tupac’s rise as a rapper and actor, his time in prison, and his years at Death Row Records against the backdrop of the conflict between the East and West Coast. Filming was planned for Los Angeles, New York, Georgia, and Las Vegas. Afeni Shakur was involved as an executive producer.
Who would play Tupac had not yet been decided. That was precisely where the project faltered: in the fall of 2011, reports emerged that Fuqua had departed because he could not find a suitable lead actor, and that John Singleton was in talks. More on this in the report from October 2011.