Tupac Shakur was killed more than 20 years ago, but his legacy lives on. We will see why when the upcoming biopic All Eyez on Me hits theaters this summer, not to mention in the film’s first full trailer, which was released Thursday.
While the biopic’s earlier previews heavily focused on fame, violence, and notoriety, the latest trailer delves further into Shakur’s activism, starting with childhood influences. This comes through scenes with his mother, Afeni Shakur (played by Danai Gurira), who was a member of the Black Panthers, and his stepfather, Mutulu Shakur (Jamie Hector), a black nationalist. We see Tupac Shakur’s own experiences coming into play as well.
“We got a big platform, man,” Tupac Shakur (Demetrius Shipp Jr.) tells Biggie Smalls (Jamal Woolard) in the trailer. “Use that platform to make change.”
Even if you’ve seen the other previews, you will likely still be blown away by Shipp’s resemblance to Shakur. The actor, whose only role prior to the biopic was the TV movie #unlock’d, seems to have more going for him than just being a Tupac look-alike, though; he holds his own in the preview. While Shipp may not be known as a big box office draw yet, the biopic’s subject should interest many moviegoers. The film follows in the wake of successful projects like Notorious and Straight Outta Compton, both of which tackled some of the same themes.
Notorious star Woolard reprises his role as The Notorious B.I.G., and other familiar characters appear also pop up in All Eyez on Me. Puff Daddy (Stefon Washington) is involved in the story, as are Dr. Dre (Harold House Moore), Snoop Dogg (Jarrett Ellis), Faith Evans (Grace Gibson), Jada Pinkett (Kat Graham), and more. The cast also includes Annie Ilonzeh and Dominic L. Santana.
All Eyez on Me opens in theaters on June 16.
