The on-screen biopic of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, "All Eyez On Me," has had a troubled time getting off the ground in Hollywood. But the project is finally moving forward and has officially cast the lead role in the film project.

According to Deadline, the part has gone to a man that bears a striking resemblance to Shakur and will no doubt bring fans of the film their highest expectations for such a momentous movie.

That man has been identified as newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr. Although the film's producers and the studio have not officially made the announcement yet, Shipp himself confirmed his role in the film via Twitter.

The movie will chronicle the life of the famous rapper who was gunned down on the streets of Las Vegas one night in 1996. His legacy through music, film and making headlines has since been monumental and fans of all generations have sought out his influence in popular culture.

Although he made legendary music with Death Row records, it was his feud with East Coast rapper Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) that made all the headlines of the era. There seemed to be a very public feud between the two factions they were both involved with. East vs West. Suge Knight vs Puff Daddy.

But Shakur and Smalls were the headliners, or at least the public face of the feud and after Shakur's death, which remains unsolved, the war was taken to the East coast and Smalls was also gunned down, speculatively through revenge.

As for the film project, there has also been another unique development in the casting phase. Jamal Woolard, who portrayed Smalls in the 2009 biopic "Notorious," will be reprising his role as the famous rapper in "All Eyez On Me." This is a rare occurrence for an actor to play the role of the same real life person in two completely separate films.

Following the departure of John Singleton from the project, the producers have brought in Benny Boom to direct the film.