After years of production and legal issues, the Tupac biopic All Eyez On Me finally hit theaters this month. It had nice returns at the box office but was met with a tepid response from viewers and critics, but if you thought the movie finally hitting theaters would signal the end of all its legal troubles you’re dead wrong. According to TMZ , the film is headed back to court, this time for copyright infringement with a writer from Vibe alleging his stories were leaned on heavily for the plot of the movie.
Kevin Powell, the scribe behind some of the most iconic Tupac stories to hit Vibe’s pages announced on Facebook that he’s suing the producers and writers of All Eyez On Me after consulting his lawyers on the matter. “As the owner of the copyright to these articles, ALL EYEZ ON ME infringed on my rights by using content and narrative that was exclusive to my writings,” he said in the statement. “I am seeking justice and a resolution in this matter that is fully fair to me and all the work I’ve done throughout the years, as an author and protector of the Tupac Shakur narrative.”
Powell’s jailhouse interviews with Tupac are depicted in the film, as an unnamed reporter is played by Harper Hill and plot lines for the film were lifted straight from Powell’s real-life interviews with Pac. Powell is also pushing for the film to be pulled from theaters, immediately.
