After several years of delays, theTupac ShakurbiopicAll Eyez on Mefinally started production last month, with newcomerDemetrius Shipp Jr.starring as the late rapper. The supporting cast is now starting to come together, withDeadlinereporting thatThe Walking DeadstarDanai Gurirahas come aboard to playTupac’s mother,Afeni Shakur.Varietyalso reports thatKaterina Grahamhas joined the cast to playJada Pinkett Smith.
We reported last month that Benny Boom (Next Day Air) had signed on to direct, and that the production needed to get started by the end of 2015, or else production company Morgan Creek would lose Tupac Shakur’s music rights, which will revert back to his mother,Afeni Shakur. Principal photography got started at the end of December, withAfeni Shakurherself on board as executive producer.Afeni Shakuris a political activist and an active member of the Black Panther party, who raised her son to be an avid reader and a political mind that influenced his rap music.
Jada Pinkett Smithgrew up in Baltimore, Maryland withTupac Shakur, and they both attended high school together at the Baltimore School for the Arts. They remained good friends until the rapper/actor was killed at the age of 25 in 1996. After his death, a collection of poetry was found that was later published in the 2009 bookThe Rose That Grew From Concrete. One of the poems in this collection was entitled “Jada,” while another called “The Tears in the Cupid’s Eyes” was inspired by her.
All Eyez on MefollowsTupac Shakur’s meteoric rise to fame as a rapper and actor, along with his time spent in jail and the East Coast vs. West Coast feud he became embroiled in as part of Death Row Records. Benny Boom is directing from a script by Ed Gonzalez and Jeremy Haft (Street Kings 2: Motor City). Over the several years this project was in development, other writers such as Steven Bagatourian (American Gun), Stephen J. Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson (Pawn Sacrifice) andJohn Singleton(Boyz N the Hood) worked on the script.
Danai Guriracurrently stars as Michonne on AMC’s hit zombie seriesThe Walking Dead, and her big-screen credits includeThe VisitorandMy Soul to Take.Katerina Grahamcurrently stars as Bonnie Bennett in The CW’sThe Vampire Diaries. What do you think about these new casting additions toAll Eyez on Me?
