Stereogum reports that Singleton – who worked with Tupac for 1993’s Poetic Justice – will make another competing movie. Carl Franklin, whose CV includes the films One True Thing and Devil In A Blue Dress as well as episodes of House Of Cards and Homeland, will now direct the originally planned movie after Boyz N The Hood film-maker Singleton left the project over creative differences.

Singleton has spoken about making the new film, writing: “To Pac’s real fans just know I am still planning a movie on Tupac … It doesn’t matter what they do mines [sic] will be better… Tupac was much more than a hip hop artist … He was a black man guided by his passions… Of most importance was his love of black people and culture … Something the people involved in this movie know nothing about… Real talk! How you gonna make a movie about a man when you suing his mother to get the rights to tell his story?! They have no true love 4 Pac so this movie will not be made with love! And that’s why my ass isn’t involved ! If Tupac knew what was going on he’d ride on all these fools and take it to the streets… But I won’t do that… I’ll just make my own project. What Yall think about that?!!”

Franklin is due to begin filming the original biopic in either August or September and casting is now under way, a representative for production company Morgan Creek confirmed. Tupac’s mother Afeni is serving as an executive producer on the project.

Tupac, full name Tupac Amaru Shakur, died on September 13, 1996 after being shot several times during a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas six days earlier. His killer has never been found. He has now sold over 75 million records worldwide, having released a greater number of studio albums since his death than when he was alive. [NME]