Johnny Depp’s Notorious B.I.G. Movie Pulled From Release Schedule

Johnny Depp’s movie about the murder of Notorious B.I.G., City of Lies, has been pulled a month before its scheduled release, Variety reports.

The film was supposed to open September 7th, but is now undated, according to a spokesman for the distribution company, Global Road Entertainment. A new release date has not yet been announced.

City of Lies is based on Randall Sullivan’s book, LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal. In the film, Depp plays real-life LAPD detective Russell Poole, while Forest Whitaker was cast as a journalist also investigating the infamous murders.

The decision to yank City of Lies comes one month after a former location manager, Gregg “Rocky” Brooks, sued Depp for alleged assault. According to Brooks, Depp punched him twice in the ribs and verbally assaulted him on set. The crew member also claimed that he was fired from City of Lies after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would have prevented him from suing Depp. Brooks is seeking unspecified damages.

[embedded content]

In addition to the City of Lies suit, Depp is reportedly facing a lawsuit from two former bodyguards, who claim the actor didn’t pay them properly and put them in “toxic” situations. In July, Depp settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit with his former business managers, whom he accused of “gross misconduct.”

Depp’s next film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, is scheduled to open November 16th. However, fans of the Harry Potter spin-off series have criticized the decision to cast Depp in the film after his ex-wife, Amber Heard, accused him of physical and verbal abuse. Depp has denied the claims.

Read Stephen Rodrick’s story, “The Trouble With Johnny Depp,” here.

In This Article: Johnny Depp, RSX

Want more Rolling Stone? Sign up for our newsletter.