(By: Trent Fitzgerald for TheBoomBox.com)
Since the theatrical release of the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, the film has been dogged with criticism for its inaccuracies, among other things. Now the producers of the film have been slapped with a copyright lawsuit by famed journalist Kevin Powell, reports TMZ.
For those who don’t know, Powell interviewed 2Pac extensively for VIBE magazine in the mid-90s. Powell was the first journalist to interview ‘Pac while he was in prison in 1995 for sexual assault.
In Powell’s lawsuit, he claims that executive producer L.T. Hutton used all of his interviews to create the movie. The 51-year-old author states that after watching the film he saw similarities to his articles. He cites one example, in which a character by the name of Nigel is based on a real person named Haitian Jack. He says that details of Nigel’s relationship with 2Pac could have only come from his articles.
Powell also says that in the movie, a journalist portrayed by Hill Harper is interviewing ‘Pac in prison just like he did in 1995. It’s not hard to tell that Harper’s character is based on Powell. Powell is currently writing a Tupac Shakur memoir, so in order to protect his narrative, he’s asking a judge to block the film from playing in theaters and award him with a piece of the box office earnings.
Kevin Powell has issued a statement regarding the lawsuit on his Facebook page.
You can read it below.
STATEMENT from Kevin Powell on ALL EYEZ ON ME, the Tupac Shakur biopic
June 2017
“After a great deal of thought and consultation with many, including my attorneys, 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. Any questions are to be directed to my lawyers, Keith White and Ken Montgomery, keith@keithwhitelaw.com and ken@kjmontgomerylaw.com. I have nothing further to say at this time.”
—KEVIN POWELL
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