Tupac Casting In Stranger Than Heaven Came Directly From Snoop Dogg, RGG Boss Says
Video game developer Stranger Than Heaven has cast the late rapper Tupac Shakur in a supporting role, marking one of the most unusual casting decisions in gaming. The decision came directly from Snoop Dogg, who is also featured in the game alongside his son Cordell Broadus, according to the game’s executive director.
Tupac, who died 30 years ago, will not play himself in the game. Instead, a character featuring Tupac’s likeness will be voiced by an actor without the use of AI assistance. This means the character is essentially an original role that simply resembles the late rapper, creating an unusual and controversial situation.
The reveal at Summer Game Fest has sparked significant debate among players and industry observers about the ethics of using a deceased person’s likeness posthumously. The decision has drawn comparisons to the notorious 1997 Dirt Devil commercial that featured Fred Astaire dancing with a vacuum cleaner decades after his death, an advertisement that ignited national controversy over the appropriateness of such practices.
With the executive director addressing concerns about the casting, the game has become a focal point in an ongoing cultural conversation about the boundaries of using celebrities’ images and likenesses after death, balancing creative ambition with ethical considerations and the legacy of the deceased.