Jeremy here...
When John Singleton replaced Antoine Fuqua as director on Morgan Creek's Tupac Shakur biopic, many viewed it as an ideal hire. After all, Singleton did his part to make the slain rapper a movie star with his 1993 film POETIC JUSTICE, and was close to Shakur up until his death in 1996. But according to The Wrap, this is not to be. Singleton has departed the project over "major creative differences", and will reportedly be replaced by Carl Franklin.
I'm not a Singleton fan at all, but I can appreciate the pressure he must've felt in trying to make a film worthy of not only his friend, but one of the most beloved hip-hop stars in history. Tupac is a cultural icon. Any creative misstep with this film will be judged harshly by his fans. According to "an individual with knowledge of the project", if Singleton made a bad Tupac movie, "it's something he'd have to live with for the rest of his life." Given that the producers are trying to get this film on track in time for the twentieth anniversary of Tupac's death, if they couldn't get on the same page now, it's probably best for all involved if Singleton moves on.
And it could be a blessing that they've handed the reins over the Franklin, a fine director with two genuinely great films (ONE FALSE MOVE and DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS) to his credit. Everything will depend on the screenplay (which is apparently still the work of Michael Starrbury), but if they've got the goods, Franklin can certainly deliver. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
