Johnny Depp & Forest Whitaker Hunt for the Notorious B.I.G.’s Killer

The long-delayed City of Lies is finally coming our way this year, and we have a new trailer to prove it. Saban Films is releasing the movie, which centers around the murder of iconic rapper Biggie Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G. It stars Johnny Depp as an LAPD officer who spent years trying to solve the murder, as well as Forest Whitaker, a journalist who was also trying to uncover the truth. Now, after years of being locked in a tangled mess, we have a good look at the movie.

The trailer opens with a recreation of the night Biggie Smalls was murdered. We then fast forward a full two decades, finding Johnny Depp, an old cop who was on the case back when it happened in 2007, and Forest Whitaker, who is trying to solve the matter all these years later. The Murder of Tupac Shakur is woven in as part of the narrative. It is largely framed as a classic hard-boiled detective story based on a real-life case.

This movie dates back several years now and was filming at the height of Johnny Depp’s public troubles. Production took place in 2017 and it was originally set to be released in summer 2018 but was pulled from release. A lawsuit followed. Gregg Brooks, who served as the movie’s location manager, also filed a lawsuit against Depp, claiming that the Pirates of the Caribbean star assaulted him during production. Needles to say, it was not a smooth road getting this movie out into the world. The dust has finally settled, or at least settled enough, for it to be released.

Brad Furman is in the director’s chair working from a screenplay by Christian Contreras. Miriam Segal, Paul Brennan and Stuart Manashil are on board as producers, with Paula Turnbull and Jess Fuerst serving as co-producers. City of Lies is based on the book, LAbyrinth by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Randall Sullivan. It was initially published in 2002.

City of Lies follows the investigation into the infamous murder of iconic rap artist Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. Johnny Depp stars as determined LAPD detective Russell Poole, who spent nearly 20 years trying to solve the murder. Forest Whitaker stars as Jack Jackson, a journalist who teams up with Poole in hopes of finding the truth. Together, they explore why the case remains cold, and why a secret division of the LAPD is seemingly intent on keeping it that way.

The Notorious B.I.G. had a tremendous career and remains one of the most influential rappers in history to this day. Born Christopher George Latore Wallace, the artist has sold more than 28 million albums in the U.S. alone. He was shot and killed in 1997. Mystery still surrounds the crime and the rapper was only 24 at the time of his death. City of Lies arrives in theaters on March 19, with a digital and on demand release set to follow on April 9 from Saban Films. Be sure to check out the teaser trailer for yourself.

Topics: City of Lies