2Pac Biopic 'All Eyez on Me' Hit With Copyright Lawsuit

Journalist Kevin Powell says 'All Eyez 0n Me' infringed on his 20-year-old interviews with 2Pac.

'All Eyez On Me'
Lionsgate

Image via Lionsgate

'All Eyez On Me'

In the seven days since the release of the 2Pac biopic All Eyez on Me, it’s gone through some shit. Not only has Jada Pinkett Smith flat-out denied that portions of the film happened in real life, but the film got roasted by 50 Centand Twitter ad nauseam. Today, the movie faces its biggest threat: a copyright lawsuit from acclaimed journalist Kevin Powell.

Powell, who was on the frontline of hip-hop journalism for outlets like Vibe during ‘Pac’s heyday, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Lionsgate and the film itself, claiming that huge chunks of the film were lifted directly from interviews he did with 2Pac over two decades ago. According to Deadline, Powell is looking for a significant portion of the $31 millionAll Eyez on Me has made at the box office so far, as well as for the film to be removed from theaters.

The 16-page document states there were “stories with fiction characters and re-worked narratives that are unique to the Original Work” (a.k.a. Powell’s interviews) “that appear in the Infringing Work” (a.k.a. All Eyez on Me).

On Friday, Powell released a statement via Facebook addressing the film and his lawsuit. “After a great deal of thought and consultation with many, including my attorneys,” Powell began, “I have filed a federal lawsuit against the producers and writers of All Eyez on Me, the new Tupac Shakur biopic, for copyright infringement. 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, and used in All Eyez on Me. As the owner of the copyright to these articles, All Eyez on Me infringed on my rights by using content and narrative that was exclusive to my writings. I am seeking justice and a resolution in this matter that is fully fair to me and all the work I’ve done throughout the years, as an author and protector of the Tupac Shakur narrative."

This lawsuit is only beginning, and at this time, Lionsgate did not respond to requests for comment due to the ongoing litigation. Powell sounds serious, and it looks like this case won't be going away any time soon. Could this be the final straw for the 'Pac biopic?

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