Throughout the early ’90s, the fiery feud between Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG in many ways personified the infamous East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. It was a spat that quickly became public and very, very personal, as the duelling rap icons locked horns under Bad Boy Records (Biggie Smalls) and Death Row Records (Tupac).
Thanks to Notorious and the upcoming biopic All Eyez on Me, moviegoers have been able to gain insight into the bitter saga leading up to the time when both rappers were fatally shot following drive-by shootings across ’97 and ’96. But what about the murder investigation that followed? Enter LAbyrinth.
Helmed by Lincoln Lawyer‘s Brad Furman, the crime drama is set to document the fallout from Shakur and Biggie’s respective deaths, with Johnny Depp already attached to the part of disgraced LAPD detective, Russell Poole. Deadline now brings word of his potential co-star: Rogue One‘s Forest Whitaker, who is said to be in contention for the role of the journalist who helped Poole on his hunt for the truth.
Adapted from a Black List script by Christian Contreras – itself inspired by the book penned by journalist Randall Sullivan’s – the early description for LAbyrinth tees up the movie as so: “Disgraced LAPD detective Russell Poole (Depp), is unable to solve his biggest case – the murders of the two music icons. After two decades, the case remains open. “Jack” Jackson, a reporter desperate to save his reputation and career, is determined to find out why. He tracks down Poole, and the two enter into an uneasy partnership to finally put this case to rest. Relentless in their hunt for the truth, the two men threaten to crack the foundation of the LAPD while fighting for their own redemption.”
Currently seeking a distribution deal, we’ll keep you posted as LAbyrinth inches closer to production. As for Forest Whitaker, he’s part of the ensemble cast that will soon feature in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story when the anthology movie opens on December 16.