All Eyez on Me? Deadline is reporting that an authorized, feature-length Tupac Shakur biopic is in the works from the Oscar-winning Steve McQueen.
The director, best known for his acclaimed work across 12 Years a Slave, Hunger, and Shame, is set to work closely with the late rapper’s family in order to craft an authentic portrait of Shakur’s life and legacy. Though it’s yet to nail down an official title, McQueen’s Tupac Shakur biopic will foster a collaboration between Amaru Entertainment, a banner created by his mother Afeni Shakur, and White Horse Pictures. Jayson Jackson (What Happened, Miss Simone?) is on board to produce, while Gloria Cox, Shakur’s aunt, will executive produce.
Striking up a partnership with the surviving family of Tupac Shakur will no doubt lend Steve McQueen and Co. unprecedented access to the archives of an icon who many believe to be one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all-time, and that’s a responsibility that McQueen isn’t taking lightly.
I am extremely moved and excited to be exploring the life and times of this legendary artist. I attended NYU film school in 1993 and can remember the unfolding hip-hop world and mine overlapping with Tupac’s through a mutual friend in a small way. Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur. I look forward to working closely with his family to tell the unvarnished story of this talented man.
Tupac Shakur‘s life and tragic death have become fertile ground for storytellers in recent years, what with the oncoming biopic All Eyez On Me. Elsewhere, there’s also the all-star crime thriller LAbyrinth headed up by Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker, which is set to document the intense murder investigation that followed the deaths of Tupac and his sworn rival, Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.). It’s an investigation that will spread its tentacles onto the small screen, too, given that USA Network is plotting the pilot Unsolved.
In terms of Steve McQueen, though, the writer-director is fast approaching the finish line on Widows, a star-studded reimagining of the eponymous British miniseries featuring Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, Michelle Rodriguez and Robert Duvall. Still no word regarding a release date for that one, but stay tuned for more.