Even if you’re deeply familiar with the history of hip-hop, you probably know the name “Tupac Shakur“. One of the most influential figures in the genre’s history, Shakur’s music is revered, and his story has almost been sacrosanct in how carefully Hollywood wants to approach it. It’s a difficult balance to walk between respectful and honest, and you certainly don’t want something watered down and forgettable.
Today, the teaser trailer for the Tupac biopic, All Eyez on Me, has finally gone online, and gives us a first glimpse at the film. Judging by the trailer, the movie won’t just focus on Tupac’s music in a vacuum, but will instead take a hard look at the circumstances that shaped the musician. As we hear from his mother Afeni Shakur (played by The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira), “Like all black men, you have a bulls eye on your back,” so it will be interesting to see the film delve into the racial aspects of Tupac’s like.
All Eyez on Me is directed by Benny Boom, who’s best known as a music video director, and stars Demetrius Shipp Jr., a newcomer to acting whose father was a collaborator with the real Tupac. In an interesting twist, Jamal Woolard, who played Notorious B.I.G. in Notorious, does so again here.
The big question is whether or not there will be shading here or if this will be a hagiography. On the one hand, you want to celebrate Tupac’s life, but on the other hand, if it’s nothing about how great he was, then it makes him unrealistic. No one wants to watch a saint; we want to see the depths of his complexity, and hopefully this film takes that on.
Check out the All Eyez on Me teaser trailer below via SR. The film currently does not have a release date.
