Tupac Shakur Biopic Director Gets Pink Slip, Replaced W/ Hollywood Icon

The latest buzz behind a much talked about Tupac Shakur biopic now centers on famed director Antoine Fuqua reportedly getting replaced by Hollywood veteran John Singleton.

According to new reports, Fuqua has moved on to work on other projects.

Now a biopic is in the works about the rapper's life and John Singleton, who was rumored to direct a film about N.W.A.'s career last month, is now slated to direct the film. Singleton takes over for Antoine Fuqua, who left the project to work on Hunter Killer. The move makes sense considering Singleton directed Tupac in 1993's Poetic Justice. No start date for production has been announced. (Paste Magazine)

While speculation continues to grow, Fuqua reportedly had problems finding the perfect Pac.

Fuqua is off to make Hunter Killer, having apparently struggled to cast a suitable Pac (clearly he wasn't keen on the much-mooted Anthony Mackie). Singleton, meanwhile, was kicking his heels waiting for New Line to make a decision about Compton, and was reportedly faced with the prospect of losing the project to the new Footloose's director Craig Brewer. (Empire Online)

Fuqua is also set to make a documentary on Pac's ex-Death Row Records boss, Suge Knight.

Controversial Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight Jr. is the focus of a documentary that will be produced by and broadcast on Showtime, the network announced Tuesday. Tentively titled "Suge Knight," the film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day," "Brooklyn's Finest") and co-produced by Fuqua and Bradley J. Fischer ("Black Swan," "Shutter Island," "Zodiac"). Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former Times reporter Chuck Philips is also one of the film's co-producers. Showtime said the Knight film is the first in a series of documentaries for the network from "talented and prestigious filmmakers" that "will spotlight iconic and controversial figures." (The Los Angeles Times)

In June, Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy said Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur, wanted him to audition for the lead role.

"How that whole thing came about, I was doing the 'Juice' mixtape and that got out. I'm with William Morris Agency and they sent me an email, the subject was 'Tupac,' so I clicked on it," Soulja Boy explained in an interview. "They were interested in having me for the role. I told them I was going to let them know. After that, I got this offer for this part for this movie called 'Officer Down' so I've been here in Connecticut [shooting]. I was on set with this actor Stephen Dorff and he was like, 'Yeah man, you should do that [play Tupac].' This is like really my first big movie, Lionsgate Films in theaters where people are going to see me acting. I was kind of hesitant [to audition for the Tupac film] but they told me that Tupac's mom is on board with the movie. That was one of the things that I was like, 'Hey, as long as his moms is cool with it I can consider it.'" (The Boom Box)