Was Johnny Depp's 'City of Lies' Movie Delay Part of LAPD Conspiracy?
Look at the middle-aged, puppy dog face. No one likes being lied to, especially not Johnny Depp. So, Los Angeles. Depps latest film, City of Lies, was finally released earlier this year after spending quite some time in purgatory. Based on the non-fiction book, Randall Sullivans LAbyrinth, City of Lies explores the investigation surrounding the (still) unsolved murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur in 1997. In the film, Depp plays the LAPD detective assigned to the case, Russell Poole, who believes to have found evidence linking an officer to Biggies murder. Forest Whitaker plays journalist Jack Jackson, a fictionalized version of the books author, Sullivan, who teams up with Poole to uncover corruption. Cover Photo: Saban Films  1/5 There are no answers in the real world. Dun dun dun. City of Lies certainly believes something, and, depending upon the accuracy of the information it presents, may not be something the LAPD wants others to believe. Filming for City of Lies was completed back in May 2017 and its original release date was planned for September 7, 2018. Then, a movie with headlining names like Depp and Whitaker was delayed multiple times. None of the films distributors (past or present) have given any official reasons for pumping the breaks. 2/5 Depps downfall (although, the mans a phoenix and will rise again). A month before that first release date, a location manager sued City of Lies director Brad Furman, and multiple producers, claiming fired him after he refused to agree not to file suit against Depp for allegedly attacking him on set. Many crew members have since said that no physical confrontation occurred. That said, this was also around the time of Depp's messy divorce with Amber Heard, those domestic abuse accusations, and, eventually, his exit from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. So, its within the realm of possibility that Depps legal issues and otherwise dismantled distributor interest. Still, we love conspiracy theorieswhich we blame on frustration, ignorance, a faulty education system, and, perhaps, a biological and social desire to be dramatic. In this case, theres reason to believe. 3/5 As long as its an ongoing investigation, evidence gets locked away in the dark. Thats a direct quote from the film (were sure youve seen the trailer). Around the time that City of Lies was first delayed, The Daily Beast ran a piece including interviews with the director, Furman, and author, Sullivan, in which they asserted that the LAPD had attempted to suppress the film from being released because they believed it painted them in a negative light. On top of that, City of Lies contains new information that could justify Biggies mom Violetta Wallaces wrongful death lawsuit against the LAPD which was previously dismissed. Those are those who believe Death Row Records had connections to the LAPD. As you know, Biggie Smalls died in a drive-by shooting, six months after the shooting of his East Coast/West Coast rival (and fellow rap icon) Tupac Shakur, in which he was sitting in the passenger seat of an SUV. There were plenty of witnesses but no one gave an accurate description of the shooter. Biggie was signed to Diddys Bad Boy Records and Tupac to Marion "Suge" Knight's Death Row Records. The theorysupported by millions (probably) of articles filled with worthwhile conjecture is that Biggy was murdered in retaliationa hit that was ordered from inside (Knight was incarcerated at the time) and facilitated by the LAPD. The LAPD still hasn't officially closed this case. 5/5 Not even Depps puppy dog eyes could make them. This isnt surprising considering his head tilt didnt win over a UK judge in that high-profile lawsuit against The Sun either. Visit the Mandatory Shop for great deals on your very own Mandatory merch. Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.