It was in 2018 that City of Lies was first announced, but was subsequently shelved. Now, it’s been announced that the film will be available to stream as early as Friday, March 19. The investigative crime drama is based on a true story, and tackles the journey of a retired detective (Johnny Depp) and a reporter (Forest Whitaker)— both seeking to solve the murders of legendary rappers, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, twenty years after the tragic events.
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It’s being reported that the film pulled “core details,” regarding the investigations, from LAbyrinth, a nonfiction book about detailing the Los Angeles Police scandal, the investigations of the slain rappers’ murders, and the mishandling of “justice.” The trailer opens up with the death of Biggie and Whitaker’s character questioning Depp, blatantly stating, “Biggie didn’t have Tupac killed.” The West Coast rapper was tragically killed in a driveby in September 1996, and the Brooklyn rapper was murdered in a similar fashion, six months later in March 1997.
This isn’t the first time the unsolved murders of Biggie and Tupac have been dramatized. Netflix dove into the topic with the 2017 release of their Unsolved miniseries, starring Josh Duhamel, Jimmi Simpson, and Bokeem Woodbine. It’s unclear if City of Lies will provide new answers to old questions. As the trailer implied, Depp and Whitaker hit several dead-ends throughout their investigation. Depp even stated, “As long as it’s an ongoing investigation, some evidence stays locked away in the dark.” Regardless, we’re ready for what’s to come.
The film’s release comes weeks after Biggie’s estate released Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell, an intimate look into the rapper’s life and career, featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews from those closest to him. City of Lies will be available in select theaters and on demand.
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