John Singleton talks Tupac and black culture in Hollywood
Director John Singleton recently offered some choice words on the forthcoming Tupac biopic, All Eyez On Me.
In a panel conversation with civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson at ComplexCon, Singleton said that he had not seen any trailers for the film, and does not plan on watching them (or the movie) ever.
"I haven't watched it and I refuse to watch it," Singleton said. "I know that they f**ked it up so I'm not even trying to give it any attention."
Singleton, who casted Tupac as the co star of his film Poetic Justice, was supposed to directAll Eyez On Me when the idea was first being discussed. But after sensing that he would not be able to make the movie that he felt his slain friend deserved without interference, he walked away from the project.
"I told the company if y'all motherf**kers want to do this, you gotta get the f**k out my face and let me do this movie. His soul wasn't going to rest unless this film was done right," Singleton said. "They want to make the Tupac story that involves them and not the Tupac story. I did a great script and I thought they were going to go forward with it, but because I'm so mouthy and opinionated, some people don't like to work with a black man in Hollywood who has an opinion. I knew they weren't going to make a good movie at all and they didn't."
Singleton might not be involved with All Eyez On Me, but he is involved with Straight Outta Heaven, a television series being created for CW.
An hour long drama that is being described as "Touched By An Angel-meets-Ghost with an urban twist," and "a faith based, hip-hop-infused guardian angel drama," the show will be produced by Singleton and Dallas Jackson.
