Tupac Shakur has come back to life, yet again, only this time as a person — not a hologram. We’re talking about the new All Eyez On Me teaser. It’s a glossy little promo, scarce on meat, but the biggest takeaway is just how much the actor Demetrius Shipp Jr. looks like the West Coast hip-hop legend.
Having held such a prominent role in hip-hop and having lost his life so tragically early, a film for Tupac would seem long overdue. The quick, minute-long teaser opens with the eerily poignant (and pointed, we’re sure) line, “Son, this ain’t just about you, like all black men you have a bullseye on your back.” The film will look into the icon’s rise to fame, his professional and personal relationships, and unfortunate fall — just like every other biopic, then. Actors playing Faith Evans, Jada Pinkett, Suge Knight, and Puff Daddy will also make appearances.
Benny Boom, known for directing music videos for artists such as Nicki Minaj, Nas, Lil Kim, and LL Cool J, is directing the film. Based on his previous work, it’ll be interesting to see how he fuses film and music in order to tell the story of both Tupac’s success and eventual demise.
The film is set to release later this year. Today was Shakur’s birthday, and, in September, he will have died 20 years ago.
Watch the trailer below: