Tupac Shakur Biopic 'All Eyez On Me' Hit With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
A week after opening to a
tepid critical response and
accusations of historical inaccuracies from actress Jada Pinkett Smith — as well as a
misinterpreted Internet joke that had many searching in vain for the appearance of an iPhone in the film — the Tupac Shakur biopic
All Eyez On Me has now been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit.
The suit — filed today by Kevin Powell, a longtime pop culture writer, author, activist — accuses the film's executive producers, screenwriters and distributors of cribbing from three cover stories on Shakur that Powell wrote for
Vibe during the height of Shakur's career.
[Disclosure: NPR Music published an article by Powell, a remembrance of the recently deceased rapper Prodigy, earlier today.]
Powell addressed the suit
on Facebook, writing:
"After viewing the movie twice in the past few days, it is clear that my exclusive
Vibe cover stories on Tupac Shakur (when he was alive), were lifted, without proper credit or compensation of any kind to me."
The list of defendants includes executive producers James G. Robinson, L.T. Hutton, screenwriters Steven Bagatourian, Jeremy Haft and Eddie Gonzales, as well as Morgan Creek Productions, Lions Gate and Program Pictures. Director Benny Boom was not named in the suit. Powell is seeking a series of damages, including $180,000 for each "broadcast" of the film.
The Hollywood Reporter points out, these admissions could be interpreted as a legal tactic that allows Powell to claim ownership over biographical facts.
Powell's attorney, Keith White, may have been pre-empting criticism of Powell on these points in a statement today, writing that "Kevin took creative license to protect the complex human being that was Tupac Shakur. This included fact-specific narrative changes and character creation in an effort to protect the legacy that Tupac was still building. Kevin's exclusive and intimate access to Tupac Shakur came as a result of the trust established over the years. The narrative that Kevin developed from many intense and exclusive moments with Tupac should not have been used in any film without Kevin's approval and consultation."
Powell's lawsuit caps a week of controversy for Benny Boom's film, which grossed $31 million domestically in its opening weekend.
Pac accomplished so much in his short life. His life was flying a hundred miles a minute. Drake about to be 31, still acting like a child. Pac was 25 and under for all the events in this movie. Pac just needed someone to set him aside and look out for him. He was surrounded by fukk ups. Had he been signed to a label like Top Dawg, he'd still be alive. But he was on Death Row which was a completely unprofessional environment and too close to the street life.
Yes it was. Seeing biggie get clapped liked that was beautiful.
