Global Road Entertainment has released the first City of Lies trailer. The upcoming crime drama is based on the true story of the attempt to solve the murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls. The film follows LAPD detective Russell Poole (Johnny Depp) who teams up with journalist “Jack” Jackson (Forest Whitaker) to try and finally discover what happened to Biggie Smalls two decades after his murder.

As far as crime dramas go, City of Lies looks solid. I was a bit hesitant on this one with Depp in the lead, but he looks like he’s giving a worthwhile performance, and I’m eager to see him and Whitaker bouncing off each other. The film also clearly has grander ambitions to dive into police brutality and systemic racial injustice, and I’m curious to see how director Brad Furman (The Infiltrator) will tackle that aspect of the story as he explore the unsolved murder of Smalls.

Check out the City of Lies trailer below. The film is set to open on September 7th.

Here’s the official synopsis for City of Lies:

Based on the true story of one of the most notorious and unsolved cases in recent time, CITY OF LIES is a provocative thriller revealing a never-before-seen look at the infamous murder of The Notorious B.I.G. shortly following the death of Tupac. L.A.P.D. detective Russell Poole (Johnny Depp) has spent years trying to solve his biggest case, but after two decades, the investigation remains open. "Jack" Jackson (Forest Whitaker), a reporter desperate to save his reputation and career, is determined to find out why. In search of the truth, the two team up and unravel a growing web of institutional corruption and lies. Relentless in their hunt, these two determined men threaten to uncover the conspiracy and crack the foundation of the L.A.P.D. and an entire city.