Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson, the Oscar nominated screenwriters of films like Ali and Nixon, have now agreed to pen Training Day director Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biopic about the late Tupac Shakur. Although the film’s lead role has yet to be cast, Rivele and Wilkinson revealed that the film will focus primarily on the slain rapper’s final day.
“I knew nothing about [Tupac before]…[but after researching him] it became clear that he was essentially a 19th century Romantic poet who found himself in the 21st century,” said Rivele. “This is the story of an artist whose character is at odds with his medium. He was a really sensitive, very romantic, talented young poet who also could sing, dance, and act. But the realities [of the record industry] were that he had to create this persona of the gangster.” (NYMag.com)
Although the identity of Tupac’s killer has been highly contested in Hip Hop circles, Rivele and Wilkinson say they hope to focus more on the senselessness of the killing itself. Rivele says that he feels Tupac was at the cusp of a transformative period in his life and that his associations with certain people may have led to his downfall.
“He was obviously very angry, and had been subjected to a great deal of violence at home, in the streets and in prison,” said Rivele. “But he was just beginning to shed that anger and look for a purer voice…He was in the process of changing himself, and entering a new phase of his life — essentially a Romantic vision — and had set up a new label, and a new production company to create it. He saw the contradiction between the musical persona of ‘Thug Life,’ and his essential nature as a gentle, sensitive person. And that was partly responsible for his murder: he was not a gangster, but the people around him were. They saw he was going to leave, that they were going to lose him, and so I think they decided to kill him.” (NYMag.com)
The film is expected to begin filming this November.
This shit is gonna be watered down and the reason i say that is because people who are really on it know who killed pac and why pac was killed this movie will not tell the real story
co-sign b
I’d really like to see this biopic, I hope the researchers get to talk to people who had the opportunity to share thoughts with the Legendary Thug Outlaw. Pac was truly a legend in his own time!
Can’t be any worse than the dreadful Notorious.
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JA RULE IS GUNNA PLAY 2PAC
Hirin’ Antoine Fuqua to shoot the 2Pac project is an auspicious start, as he’s shown his hood credentials in his previous work. I’m not sure about the writers, though. If the studios wanted an established writer, they should’ve gone to the dude who wrote the Wire, as that show was an authentic, credible portrayal of street life. The benchmark for hip-hop films though, is still Wild Style. It may not be as glossy and slick as 8 Mile, but the cinema-verite technique used by its director captured hip-hop at its genesis, and we’ll never witness that rawness again, even if the movie was directed by Scorsese.
i c ur points. as long as the writers hav done their proper research, Fuqua will bring it to life properly…
it became clear that he was essentially a 19th century Romantic poet who found himself in the 21st century,” said Rivele.
^ WOW that hit the heart. gave me goosebumps
me too tupac was one of a kind
say i wont 2 try out for da role how can i get intouch wit sumbody??
find out what production company is making the film and get into contact with them. BIG’s biopic was made by Fox Searchlights, so this might be the same, but im not sure.
i served time with the nigga
broke bread with the nigga
me and him wuz like brothers man foreal
i remember we was out on the yard pumping iron and the nigga said “yo.. if they wrote a book on yo life.. ya think anybody with read it?”
is said hells yea my nigga
Ya, sure there nigga lmfao. How’s the weather in the nuthouse right now?
yo
id just like to add, on behalf of tupac…
eminem is the only cat with the skillz to play him in a movie..
Honestly, how much PCP did you smoke 2day? lmafao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfG3RDy0YI&feature=watch_response
“he was not a gangster”
gave me goosebumps – so fukin true!
yo watever get you through the fucking day nigga.
just because you a bitch nigga dont mean err body else is nigga
and thats on my mamma nigga.. on err thing i love nigga
They’ve got two great screen writers and a brilliant director. I think this is going to blow that garbage b.i.g biopic out of the water, i love b.i.g, but anything that diddy touches since he died instantly turns to dogshit
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Its unfortunate we lost a great artist as pac. Whatever biopic 2 keep him fresh in our hearts is highly accepted. Jus give us the real truth surounding his life
I would like to say that ‘Pac was and still is a Great artist(musical and visual). I say that because if anyone can rap the truth without giving a fuck about anyone’s opinion and also be the brotha that’s sensitive to life itself,that’s an inspiring artist.
I would love for my uncle to audition for the role of Tupac Shakur. Besides looking like him, the soul of Tupac exists in him. They have had lots of similarites in life such as growing up without a father and being a hardcore leader but also that sensitive person he’s a visual artist/poet and rapper, he got shot 5 times and lived and been imprisoned(which he is now) but he reminds me and everone else that he’s known of Tupac,so if you read this please Mr.Fuqua take this into consideration.