Tupac Shakur would have been 45 today. His birthday is a twofold reminder of both the 20 years that have passed since his untimely death and his precocious gifts. 2Pac—or Pac, or Makaveli—remains one of the most revered rappers of all time. His influence was unfounded, and his artistry defined an era—enough so that Rolling Stone included him in their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. And today, fittingly, we finally got a glimpse of the long-awaited 2Pac biopic, All Eyez On Me.
The film has been in the works for several years now, due in part to studio issues, a lawsuit, and a juggling of directors. This morning, though, bigboysneighborhood posted a teaser trailer to Instagram—as Cinema Blend reports, giving us our first evidence that All Eyez On Me is close to completion.
“This ain’t just about you,†says The Walking Dead‘s Danai Gurira playing 2Pac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, in an impassioned voiceover. “Like all black men, you have a bullseye on your back.†(The real Afeni Shakur passed away last month.) The trailer is brief, a collage of clips that includes an FBI raid, enthusiastic fans, and shots of 2Pac performing.
And no that’s not another 2Pac hologram; that’s Demetrius Shipp Jr., a veritable doppleganger of the late Shakur. So, if nothing else, the film will certainly have a lead that look’s convincingly like Makaveli.
All Eyez On Me is named after 2Pac’s seminal album of the same name. It arrived in 1996 just 7 months before he was shot in Las Vegas, an event still shrouded in mystery that’s sure to be examined in the upcoming biopic. All Eyez On Me arrives on November 11. Check out the trailer above and let us know what you think in the comments.
IMAGE:Â GeorgeHannzD
