First Trailer for “All Eyez on Me” on Tupac's 45th Birthday

On June 16, 2016, on Tupac’s 45th birthday, the first trailer for All Eyez on Me was released. Billboard described the teaser: an FBI raid is shown, accompanied by Danai Gurira as Afeni Shakur delivering the line “Son, this ain’t just about you.” Rolling Stone summarized the film as a path “from poverty to the highest echelon of fame.” Beneath the visuals, the trailer blended contemporary rap songs like Nicki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap” and Waka Flocka Flame’s “Hard in Da Paint.”

The Cast Was Set, the November Date Did Not Hold

According to Rolling Stone, the cast included Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac, Kat Graham as Jada Pinkett, Stefon Washington as Puff Daddy, and Dominic L. Santana as Suge Knight. The magazine cited November 11, 2016 as the release date, just a few weeks after the 20th anniversary of his death.

That date did not hold. The film did not hit theaters until June 16, 2017 (release date), exactly one year after the first teaser. More on the film: All Eyez on Me.