'I planned to do a lifetime of films with him': Boyz N The Hood director John Singleton to tackle Tupac Shakur biopic

It's been 18 years since he was murdered in Las Vegas; but as often as a Tupac Shakur biopic has been mooted, it's been dismissed as too difficult a subject to explore.
Fans of the mercurial, outspoken, controversial and supremely talented rapper are rabid in their defence of their hero and many directors have failed to find the nerve to even try and capture his spirit on the big screen.
But old friend and colleague of Tupac's, John Singleton, has just agreed to take on the project; and with his unique perspective; it could just keep the purists happy.

Unique position: Boyz n the Hood director John Singleton has taken on the Tupac Shakur biopic, he worked with the late rapper in the early '90s

The 46-year-old had the privilege of directing Shakur and Janet Jackson in 1993's Poetic Justice; a romantic road trip movie created around the writings of author Maya
Angelou.
A Los Angeles native; Singleton is still best known for his 1991 debut, the classic Boyz N The Hood but he also directed 2 Fast 2 Furious, Four Brothers and Abduction.

Now Singleton has signed on to rewrite, direct and produce the Shakur film, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Production is slated for a summer start, and Singleton is said to be already at work on the screenplay.

History: Singleton directed 1993's Poetic Justice starring Janet Jackson and Tupac

Of course, the burning question is who will play Tupac?
Anthony Mackie tackled the role in the 2009 film Notorious about rival rapper Notorious B.I.G.
Singleton said of Shakur: 'Tupac was the guy who I planned to do a lifetime of films with.'
'His passing deeply affected my life as well as countless people in this world. His life story is important to my generation.'

A new musical featuring the work of the iconic rapper also will open on Broadway on June 19; just three days after what would've been his 43rd birthday.
'Holler If Ya Hear Me' is set to start preview shows at the Palace from May 26 but casting - sure to be contentious given the beloved subject - has not yet been announced.

Iconic: Tupac Shakur's work is to be celebrated on Broadway in a new production

Written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Tony nominee Kenny Leon, 'Holler If Ya Hear Me is being described as 'an original, non-biographical story about two friends in the inner-city in the Midwest.'
The title comes from an autobiographical song written by Shakur for his second solo album in 1993, according to EW.
This production comes two years after the phenomenally successful decision to have Tupac play the Coachella Music Festival in hologram form during Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre's headlining shot.
In the music video behind the production, a girl witnesses her father's death, seeks out money to buy a gun and rounds up he friends to try and help avenge the patriarch's death.
The show will not attempt to tell Tupac's short and violent story but will offer 'a window into the realities of the streets still relevant today.'

Tribute: The production won't tell Tupac's story, but instead set a tale against his musical canon

Firebrand: Tupac was known for his quick wit, and temper... and it was the latter that would be his undoing

Tupac was fatally wounded in a shooting in Vegas on September 7, 1996.
The outspoken artist, who was signed to Suge Knight's Death Row Records, was in Sin City to watch Mike Tyson fight Bruce Seldon with Knight's crew.
The trouble started when one of Knight's men pointed out Crips member, Orlando 'Baby Lane' Anderson to Shakur in the MGM Grand lobby.
Anderson and his crew had robbed a member of Death Row's entourage at a Footlocker store so the Death Row crew set about assaulting him in revenge- Shakur including - the brawl was captured on CCTV.
After the altercation, Tupac headed to Knight's Vegas club 662 - rumoured to be named thus as it spelled out MOB, Member of the Bloods - and was shot after leaving as he drove through Vegas with Knight in his black BMW.
He was pronounced dead six days later.

They said he wasn't dead: Tupac was resurrected - in hologram format - as part of Dr Dre's headlining Coachella performance in Indio, California back in 2012

The gang's all here: The performance was a hit with celebrity fans such as Rihanna and Katy Perry who tweeted: 'I think I might have cried when I saw Tupac'

DM