News of December 23, 2015
Filming Begins on “All Eyez on Me”: Demetrius Shipp Jr. Plays Tupac
An unknown actor as Tupac, Jamal Woolard back as Biggie: Filming on “All Eyez on Me” is underway, and Morgan Creek retains the music rights.
In mid-December 2015, it emerged that filming had begun on the Tupac film, which by then bore the title All Eyez on Me. According to Vibe, the news came via Instagram photos posted by producer L.T. Hutton, who previously worked at Ruthless and Interscope. The magazine linked the start of filming to the deadline by which the film had to be in production for the music rights to remain with Morgan Creek.
Demetrius Shipp Jr. Plays Tupac, Woolard Returns as Biggie
On December 23, Billboard reported that unknown actor Demetrius Shipp Jr. was playing the lead role; TMZ had broken the news first with photos. Hutton approached him because of his resemblance to Tupac, Vibe wrote. It is Shipp’s first major role.
According to The Source, Jamal “Gravy” Woolard, who had already played the Notorious B.I.G. in Notorious (2009), returns in that role. Benny Boom directs (report).
Theatrical Release Not Until June 2017
The release date was initially given as 2016. The film was released on June 16, 2017, see All Eyez on Me (film).