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    Steve McQueen to direct authorized Tupac Shakur documentary 

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3301 Views
    In this combination photo, filmmaker Steve McQueen, left, appears at The London Critics Circle Awards, in London, on Feb. 2, 2014 and rapper Tupac Shakur attends a voter registration event in South Central Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 1996. (Photo by Jonathan Short/Invision/AP, left, and Frank Wiese/AP, File)

    By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Academy Award-winner Steve McQueen is set to direct a documentary about Tupac Shakur. Shakur Estate trustee Tom Whalley and Amaru Entertainment said Tuesday that the film is fully sanctioned by the late hip-hop artist's estate.

    McQueen is best known for directing "12 Years a Slave," which won the best picture Oscar in 2014 and earned him a best director nomination.

    The director said in a statement that he looks forward to working with Shakur's family to bring his unvarnished story to life. Shakur's aunt and late mother's sister Gloria Cox will serve as an executive producer.

    "Few, if any shined brighter than Tupac Shakur," said McQueen, who hinted there was some overlap between himself and Shakur during his time at NYU film school in 1993.

    Whalley hopes that the documentary will help take Shakur's legacy beyond "the refraction of the headlines, the controversy, and the tragic way his life ended." Shakur died in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996, at age 25.

    Cox said that the genesis of the project started with Shakur himself in 1996 and was something that his mother Afeni Shakur continued pursuing until her death last year.

    "Our goal has always been to tell the true story, which has never been done before in such a complete way. My sister always said to me, 'We are not in the business of defending Tupac. Our job is to allow him to be seen in the most complete way, so his actions, his choices, and his words will allow him to speak for himself,'" Cox wrote in a statement. "I believe this film will do exactly that."

    No release date or timeline was announced for McQueen's documentary. The director hasn't released a feature film since "12 Years a Slave," but has the Gillian Flynn-penned crime drama "Widows," starring Liam Neeson, on his schedule.

    Shakur's legacy is having a moment in Hollywood movies. The prolific artist will also get the biopic treatment in "All Eyez on Me," which hits theaters on June 16. Newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr. is playing Shakur. 

    Tags:Steve McQueenTupac Shakur



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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