Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me gets dramatic new trailer
The film chronicles the late American rapper's rise to the top of the industry
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An extensive new trailer for the forthcoming Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me has just been released, coinciding with his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today (April 7).
Tupac rose to fame during the 1990s with rap hits such as 'California Love' - which features in the trailer - and 'Hit 'Em Up'. However, he was murdered in 1995 at the age of 25, leading to endless conspiracy theories surrounding his death and a lasting legacy as a cult rap icon.
The two-minute preview gives a glimpse into the late American rapper’s life, chronicling his rise to the top of the industry as he battles crime and the pressures of stardom. “Why are the cameras all on me? Why me? Because I'm Tupac?”, asks Demetrius Shipp Jr., who stars in the lead role.
All Eyez on Me marks the debut movie performance for the Tupac doppelgänger. Meanwhile Jamal Woolard has reprised his role as Shakur’s friend turned enemy, Notorious B.I.G., having also played the rapper - real name Christopher Wallace - in the 2009 film biopic Notorious.
The Walking Dead actor Danai Gurira stars as Pac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, with Jamie Hector playing his on-screen stepfather, Mutulu Shakur. The trailer opens with him telling a young Tupac: “You must stand for something, you must live for something, and you must be willing to die for something.” Mutulu was recently denied parole after serving half of his 60-year sentence for organising a chain of deadly armed robberies, New York Daily News reported.
Gurira's Walking Dead actress Lauren Cohan also has a small role while Kat Graham stars as Pac's lifelong friend, Jada Pinkett. The film is directed by Benny Boom and produced by Morgan Creek Productions, which is run by father-son duo James G. Robinson and David C. Robinson.
The film takes its name from Tupac’s fourth studio album, which was released only months before his death in 1996. The US release date of All Eyez on Me coincides with what would have been his 46th birthday.
Tupac’s death has long been shrouded in mystery, however, new rumours have been circulating since the release of Tupac Assassination 3: Battle for Compton. Suge Knight, the former Death Row Records boss, has supported the documentary's claims that his own ex-wife, Sharitha Knight, and the music label's security chief, Reggie Wright Jr. are behind the murders, according to Billboard. Sharitha Knight has since shunned the claims as “ridiculous.”
Knight is currently serving a prison sentence following a hit-and-run incident in 2015, CNN reported.
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