There has been much talk about the ‘Notorious B.I.G. biopic’ for many months after the production held an open casting for in hopes to find an actor who would fill in the shoes of the late rapper. It has now been announced that Jamal ‘Gravy’ Woolard is the lucky man that will play ‘Biggie’ in ‘Notorious.’
Yahoo!News gives us these details:
Derek Luke, Angela Bassett and Anthony Mackie also have been cast in the movie, the art-house studio said. Directed by George Tillman Jr. (“Soul Food”), it goes into production this month and is set for release in January.
Luke (“Catch a Fire”) will play Biggie record producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, who off-screen is an executive producer on the film. Mackie (“Brother to Brother”) will play rival rapper Tupac Shakur, while Bassett (“Akeelah and the Bee”) will play Biggie’s mother Voletta Wallace.
Like Biggie, Woolard was a drug dealer before he became a rapper. He had released a number of albums on indie labels in the 1990s before being signed by Warner Bros.
Voletta Wallace cited “Jamal’s charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humor and beautiful smile” as reasons for the casting. “He is a talented and charismatic actor, and I am excited that he will bring Christopher’s character to life,” she said.
I know there are probably tons of fans excited about this news, however, I can’t say I’m one of them. I just can’t believe it has taken 24 years for a biopic of Marvin Gaye to go into production, and it’s only been 11 years since ‘Notorious B.I.G’ died, and the public will probably be seeing both films come out the same year.
Sorry if I sound a little bitter, but out of all the other influential rappers out there, I was expecting a biopic on Tupac Shakur out before this one. I’m sure Biggie’s story will be an interesting one onscreen, but I feel that Tupac was a far more intriguing,charismatic intelligent and influential person,(the Academy award nominated documentary, ‘Tupac: Resurrection’ proves that) and it saddens me that the first time we will see him being portrayed onscreen will be as an antagonist.
However, this is a film a lot of people have been asking for, so hopefully it delivers. (I’m kind of surprised they didn’t cast the rapper ‘Guerilla Black’ as Biggie. His voice and looks are both uncanny to the late rapper.)
What are your thoughts?
