Antoine Fuqua has stepped away from directing the biopic of rapper Tupac Shakur and is now slated to join Eminem’s boxing drama Southpaw .
Up until last month, Fuqua was up for the biopic, but has decided to helm the Eminem vehicle, written by Sons Of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, instead.
24 Frames scooped the story, and reports that although Fuqua has no formal deal in place yet, they are hoping to start shooting later this year.
Southpaw follows the story of a welterweight boxer whose life is followed by tragedy despite becoming a champion boxer.
The news will be a huge blow to the Tupac biopic, because Fuqua’s involvement was key to getting the late rapper’s mother to co-operate.
The director’s last movie was Brooklyn’s Finest in 2009, and his 2001 film Training Day starred Denzel Washington, who won an Oscar for his role as a corrupt cop.