Benny in talks to helm Tupac Shakur biopic

Benny Boom is in negotiations to replace Carl Franklin as director on the upcoming biopic of American rapper-actor Tupac Shakur.

Morgan Creek Productions has been working for years to bring the late rapper’s story to the big screen.

It is operating with a sense of urgency given that the music rights will revert back to Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, at the end of the year if the film is not in production by then, said The Hollywood Reporter.

Franklin was poised to direct as recently as the summer, picking up the baton after John Singleton dropped out in April and trashed Morgan Creek in the process.

Things continued to move forward until Franklin quietly exited the project amid a fresh round of intrigue that surfaced about a month ago.

In late October, producers Emmett/Furla filed a $10 million lawsuit against Morgan Creek, saying the company breached a co-production agreement by selecting a lead actor and setting a budget and production schedule without Emmett/Furla’s approval.

It was not the first time the project had become entangled in a lawsuit. The studio sued Afeni for the music rights to the film. Given the success of another rap biopic, Universal’s Straight Outta Compton, a Tupac film was seen as particularly attractive.

Tupac’s life story, which includes his rise to multiplatinum-selling artist and his mysterious death, is seen as one of the most tempting.