The upcoming Tupac biopic "All Eyez on Me" has been beefing up its cast in recent days, adding a "Walking Dead" fan favorite in a key role.

Danai Gurira, who plays sword-wielding survivor Michonne on the AMC zombie drama, will play Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, in the flick. According to Deadline, Gurira will be stepping into the shoes of a "complex woman" who was a central figure in the rapper's life. "A political activist and member of the Black Panthers, Afeni raised her son to be a voracious reader with a political awareness that informed his development as a street poet," Deadline writes.

The real-life Afeni Shakur is serving as an executive producer on "All Eyez On Me," and has also been charged with managing her son's estate since his death in 1996. The biopic has been in the works for some time, but has finally begun production, and is currently shooting in Atlanta. Demetrius Shipp Jr. plays Tupac, and Benny Boom is directing.

Though Gurira has been entertaining TV fans for several seasons now on "The Walking Dead," she hasn't really crossed over into film, despite roles in flicks like "The Visitor" and "Mother of George." She's been busy working as a playwright recently, penning the drama "Eclipsed," which stars Lupita Nyong'o and is headed to Broadway in March. Gurira also has another play, "Familiar," in the works, which will make its off-Broadway debut in the coming months.

[via: Deadline]

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