Unsolved: The Murders of Biggie and Tupac has found its two leads. Marcc Rose (Straight Outta Compton) and Wavyy Jonez will play Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. in USA's true crime serial, the network announced Monday. The portrayal marks Jonez' first acting role. Jonez, who recently released his first mixtape R.E.D. D.O.P.E., was discovered during a nationwide open casting call for the part.
The series, first announced with a pilot order in November, follows the two major police investigations into Tupac and Biggie's murders. People v. O.J. Simpson director Anthony Hemingway will direct and executive produce alongside Mark Taylor. Based on the experiences of former LAPD detective Greg Kading, Unsolved also stars Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), and Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo). According toDeadline, Kading will be assisting with the pilot script.
Rose previously portrayed Tupac in F. Gray Gray's 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton. During a 2015 interview on Ebro in the Morning, he opened up about the pressures of playing such a revered musical icon. "I think, it was a lot of pressure to me because of who Pac was," he said. "It's like, if I'm coming out the gate, this is my first film, I gotta make sure that this is done right. I gotta make sure that how I portray him is realistic." Rose added that he wanted fans to be able to see Pac in his portrayal, not just a character.
Unsolved isn't the only Tupac project in the pipeline. All Eyez on Me, starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., is expected to be released later this year. In an interview with Complex last September, Shipp touted the film as "one of the biggest biopics" ever. "Next to Michael Jackson, you know what I'm saying?" he told Complex. "As far as the people in the world that's respected and loved when it comes to entertainment and as big as Pac, it's Mike... 2Pac, Elvis or something like that."
