With production on All Eyez on Me officially underway, news continues to come out with regard to casting decisions for the highly anticipated Tupac biopic. With Demetrius Shipp Jr. slated to play the late, great west coast rapper, Variety reports that The Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham has been cast as Pac's high school classmate and lifelong friend Jada Pinkett.

Though the biopic experienced its fair share of setbacks, including an internal lawsuit and a struggle to keep a director, the film began production in mid-December with long time music video director Benny Boom at the helm. Had production not begun before the new year, the film would have lost the rights to use Tupac's music.

Other casting announcements have included Jamal Woolard, who will reprise his role of The Notorious B.I.G. after playing the slain rapper in 2009's Notorious, and The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira who has been cast as Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur. The film is currently shooting in Atlanta, and will cover Tupac's life and legacy, including his ascension to hip-hop and film stardom, his imprisonment and his time with Death Row Records.

Following the success of 2015's Straight Outta Compton, added focus has been given to hip-hop's leading stories, with Tupac's the first among them. In addition to All Eyez on Me, a Staight Outta Compton sequel has been announced, following the Tha Dogg Pound's rise to fame. Dr. Dre's son Curtis has reportedly been cast to play the influential producer.

See New Music Releases for January 2016

More From HOT 99.1