Last summer I posted about the interesting way filmmakers were casting the Notorious B.I.G. biopic: via Internet submissions. Apparently the folks behind the project felt that Hollywood lacked good choices for the role, and opened up auditions to the world wide web in the hopes of finding someone more authentic than a big-name star. At first I thought this might be more of a publicity stunt than a sincere search for the right fit to portray Biggie, but through this process they actually appear to have found their man.

The film's producers and Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace conducted an exhaustive search auditioning thousands of men before finally choosing Brooklyn rapper Jamal 'Gravy' Woolard for the role. Wallace is thrilled with the results, and recently stated:

Finding B.I.G. was a task in itself, and I'm honored that so many young men came out to audition for the role . . . However, it was Jamal's charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humor and beautiful smile that won my heart. He is a talented and charismatic actor, and I am excited that he will bring Christopher's character to the big screen.

Set for release in January 2009, the movie will also star Angela Bassett as Biggie's mother, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. Though there seems to be a lot of care involved in doing justice to Biggie's life story, there have been early reports of weaknesses in the script. Let's hope some strong direction and a newcomer's fresh energy will make this a film to remember.

What do you think of this project?

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