Notorious B.I.G. Movie Will Avoid Controversy

Published by Jeff Leins on March 18, 2008

The Notorious B.I.G. biopic (simply called Notorious) starts filming next week in Brooklyn and the New York Times wrote an article explaining how boring it’ll be.

The unsolved mystery surrounding the 24-year-old rapper’s drive-by shooting will barely be covered, along with no mention of the conspiracies about the East-West feud and possible corrupt police involvement.

Mr. Wallace’s mother, Voletta Wallace, who is a producer of the film said the project would deliberately steer clear of the controversy. “That’s going to be another movie,” Ms. Wallace said.

Playing Christopher G. Wallace/Notorious B.I.G./Biggie Small/Big Poppa is an unknown actor named Jamal Woolard (pictured left). Directing is George Tillman Jr. (Men of Honor).

Mr. Tillman said that the movie’s Notorious B.I.G. would sharply differ from that rapper’s harsh public image. “The major theme we’re working toward is family, being a man, what it takes to be a man,” he said. The movie follows Mr. Wallace from childhood in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn through his death, and various scenes will “capture the spirit and reason for certain things” without making detailed accusations, Mr. Tillman said.

In other words, the movie will be boring. It might be interesting for hardcore fans of the music and the artist, but everyone else wants to see the tension between the two coasts that became big news during the 90’s. Audiences want to see Biggie take on Tupac and vice versa. This version sounds awful.

The movie is intended for a January 16, 2009 release.