What Is City of Lies and Why It Matters
City of Lies was to be a crime drama exploring the 1992 investigation of The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder and the relationship between Los Angeles detective Russell Poole, played by Johnny Depp, and his partner. Production began in 2017 but was suspended that year and never resumed, so the film was never completed or released. Understanding City of Lies requires separating the planned narrative from the behind-the-scenes events that halted the project, including legal disputes and the criminal case involving Depp. This overview explains the film's concept, why it stopped, and its current status without sensational claims.
Concept and Creative Team
Planned Story and Genre
City of Lies aimed to dramatize the real-life investigation into the murder of The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) in 1997 and the supposed cover‑ups and conflicts between law enforcement and the Los Angeles hip‑hop scene. The script focused on the partnership and tensions between veteran detective Russell Poole and his partner, offering a police procedural take on a high‑profile unsolved crime. Had the film been completed, it would have blended crime drama with period detail, emphasizing investigative journalism and institutional conflict.
Director and Key Staff
Brad Furman was attached to direct City of Lies, following his work on other crime‑drama projects. The production involved writers such as Jeremy Haft, who helped shape the screenplay based on documented investigations and court records. The project sought to present a grounded, procedural style rather than a purely biopic approach, centering on the complexities of the original investigation and the personal stakes for the detectives involved.
Production Timeline and What Happened
Principal Photography and the 2017 Suspension
Filming began in 2017 in Los Angeles, with Johnny Depp as Russell Poole and Forest Whitaker reportedly slated to play another detective. After a few weeks of shooting, production was halted abruptly. The shutdown was tied to a combination of factors, including a criminal case against Depp in which he alleged defamation by his former wife, and contractual disagreements. Because the movie was never finished or released, it remains an uncompleted production in the development history of both the filmmakers and the studio.
Legal Challenges and Rights Issues
City of Lies faced legal obstacles related to the rights to the underlying story and ongoing litigation involving Depp. These disputes complicated the ability to complete and distribute the film. Insiders noted that the unresolved criminal case and Depp’s high‑profile lawsuits created an environment in which insurers and financiers chose to pause or cancel support for the project. The absence of a clear legal path to finish the movie contributed directly to its current unfinished status.
Current Status and Public Availability
Is the Movie Finished or Released?
As of now, City of Lies has not been completed, submitted for festival review, or given a commercial release. No finished cut has been screened publicly, and there are no imminent plans to finalize or distribute the film. The project remains in a legal and logistical holding pattern, with the unresolved litigation and rights issues still affecting any possibility of future completion.
Footage and Potential Future
Only limited footage from the set has circulated in reports, and no official trailer or full scenes have been released by the studio. Without resolution of the underlying legal matters, the likelihood of City of Lies being finished and shown to a wide audience remains low. For the foreseeable future, City of Lies stands as a halted production rather than a released work that audiences can evaluate.
Key Production Details at a Glance
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Star | Johnny Depp as Russell Poole | Production announcements and reports |
| Director | Brad Furman | Production records |
| Production Start | 2017 | Industry news and studio filings |
| Production Status | Halted; not completed or released | Studio statements and news reports |
| Subject | Investigation into The Notorious B.I.G. murder | Reported synopsis and scripts |
How City of Lies Fits Into Johnny Depp’s Career
City of Lies represents one of the many planned projects in Depp’s extensive filmography that did not reach completion, sitting alongside other stalled productions. Reviewers and biographers sometimes mention the film when discussing the period in which Depp was navigating intense public and legal battles. Its narrative focus on a real criminal investigation would have added a distinct true‑crime chapter to his resume, but the project’s abandonment is best understood as a result of external legal and production challenges rather than artistic choices or content concerns.
Comparison With Similar True‑Crime Projects
Several films and series have explored the Biggie Smalls murder and related LAPD investigations, using different formats and narrative approaches. City of Lies would have contributed a detective‑procedural perspective focused on Russell Poole’s work, distinguishing it from documentaries and journalistic accounts. The table below contrasts City of Lies with other notable projects addressing the same era and themes.
| Project | Format | Status | Relation to City of Lies |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lies (planned) | Feature film | Unfinished | Planned dramatization |
| The Notorious B.I.G. (2009) | Documentary | Released | Covers much of the same case |
| LAbyrinth (2018) | Feature film | Released | Depicts investigation and police dynamics |
| Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. (2018) | Miniseries | Released | Explores investigations and theories |
Why Production Ended: A Summary of Contributing Factors
- Legal proceedings involving defamation claims affected Depp’s availability and the production’s insurability.
- Contractual disputes between Depp, the studio, and other talent contributed to delays.
- Insurers and financiers declined to proceed after the suspension, halting further development.
- No edited footage or final script has been approved for public release, preventing revival under current terms.
Key Takeaways
- City of Lies was planned as a crime drama about the Notorious B.I.G. murder investigation with Johnny Depp as lead.
- Production started in 2017 but was halted and never resumed, leaving the film unfinished.
- Legal and contractual issues, not creative disputes, are the primary reasons the project was shelved.
- No official release or completed version exists; the project remains inactive.
- Understanding the film requires separating its intended story from the real‑world events that stopped it.
References and Further Context
Details about City of Lies are drawn from production announcements, legal filings, and news reports published while the project was active. These sources describe the planned cast and concept while documenting the reasons production was suspended. Because there has been no official update since the halt, current information reflects the project’s status as of the last verifiable reports rather than any recent development.
Tags: johnny-depp, city-of-lies, film-production-status