Notorious B.I.G. Movie In the Making!!!!

The producers of an upcoming biopic about slain rap heavyweight Notorious B.I.G. are set to line up unknowns for the coveted role. Notorious casting will take place during a series of open auditions at undisclosed locations later this summer - before the film, which has taken seven years to get to the production stage, starts filming this autumn (07).

The rapper's mother Voletta Wallace, and his two former managers, Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts, are among those who will be overseeing the casting. Wannabe Biggies are being asked to submit video auditions to film company Fox Searchlight's website from Sunday (12Aug07) onwards. Barrow claims the producers decided to cast an unknown when they realized that only Oscar winner Forest Whitaker could "capture that essence," and he was too old.

The rapper, real name Christopher Wallace, was shot to death in March, 1997, outside a Los Angeles party. The rapper's mother insists she'll recognize the right unknown as soon as she sees him: "There will only be one Christopher Wallace, but I'm happy that his legacy will open a door for another to walk through." The producers of the project are also looking for a director after "Training Day" filmmaker Antoine Fuqua walked away from the chance to make the biopic earlier this year (07).