Tupac Shakur Slated To Make His Screenwriting Debut

Nearly 15 years after the death of Tupac Shakur, a production company has acquired the only screenplay written by the rapper, and -- with the help of Hustle and Flow producer Dwight Williams and Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur -- Shakur's cinematic vision Live 2 Tell could begin production as early as next year.

Written during an 11-month prison sentence for weapon charges, the script follows "a teenage drug lord and his efforts to leave a life of crime." Preston Holmes, who originally discussed the project with the incarcerated artist over 15 years ago, finally acquired the script this year for his NStar Studios production company. Holmes's production partner Ivan Juzang assured Variety yesterday that the $11 million project is timeless as "[Tupac's] able to talk to young people in 2011, 2012, the same way he was able to talk to young people in 1995." Heaven may not have a ghetto but apparently it has a development department. Am I right?

· Tupac Shakur's only screenplay acquired [Variety]