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A movie about the as-yet-unsolved murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.—based on a book by Portland journalist Randall Sullivan and starring Johnny Depp—has been pulled from release by its distributor a month before it was scheduled to hit theaters.
The film, City of Lies, is an adaptation of Sullivan's 2002 book LAbyrinth, which popularized the theory that Death Row Records impresario Suge Knight conspired with officers within the Los Angeles Police Department to kill the two rap legends and then cover it up.
Related: Portland Journalist Randall Sullivan Wrote the Book on the Conspiracy to Kill Tupac and Biggie.
In 2016, on the 20th anniversary of Tupac's shooting, it was announced that the book was going to be turned into a movie, with Depp portraying Russell Poole, the late detective who first convinced Sullivan of the LAPD's involvement in the murders. It was directed by Brad Furman, who helmed the 2011 Matthew McConaughey drama The Lincoln Lawyer. A trailer was released in spring, and the film was given a release date of Sept. 7.
Yesterday, however, it was reported that distributor Global Road had taken City of Lies off its release schedule. No new release date has been set.
It's unclear why Global Road pulled the film, but it comes amid a torrent of bad press for Depp, including accusations of physical abuse from ex-wife Amber Heard, a troubling Rolling Stone profile and a lawsuit from a City of Lies crew member alleging the actor assaulted him on the set.
Sullivan, meanwhile, told Willamette Week in 2016 that he had been considering writing a followup to LAbyrinth that will focus on what's transpired in the Tupac and Biggie investigations since the original book's publication. His new book, The Curse of Oak Island, publishes in November.