No, that's not the Notorious B.I.G. That's Jamal Woolard, who has just been cast by Fox Searchlight to play him, Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, in the upcoming biopic Notorious. Man, the only possible critique I could come up with is that his eyebrows are a little dark. That's some spot-on casting. They're definitely not Dead Wrong.

Voletta Wallace, Smalls' mom, is happy with the casting as well: "it was Jamal's charming personality, warm spirit, wonderful sense of humor and beautiful smile that won my heart. He is a talented and charismatic actor and I am excited that he will bring Christopher's character to the big screen." Topping that off, Woolard also has the real-life experience to make this pop. THR adds to the press release, explaining that Jamal is a drug-dealer-turned-rapper just like Wallace was.

Under the directorial eye of George Tillman Jr., we've got Woolard as Wallace, Angela Bassett as Voletta, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. Production begins March 24 in New York.

I'm really glad the biopic about Biggie Smalls (aka the Notorious B.I.G., aka Christopher Wallace) is moving forward. I've never been very familiar with his music, but I am a fan of Nick Broomfield's documentary Biggie and Tupac, and because of that film I am in love with Biggie's mom, Voletta Wallace. Miss Wallace is producing her son's biopic, which so far is untitled, and hopefully she'll get to play herself, because I can't imagine an actress doing her justice. Another person I think could maybe play himself is Sean "Diddy" Combs, who Variety reports has hopped on as executive producer. I'm really surprised that Diddy wasn't already involved in the project from the beginning -- it's been in development for seven years -- but the fact that he is now overseeing the production is reassuring that it is in good hands. His only real producing experience is with TV projects like the show Making the Band and the upcoming ABC adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun, but Combs was with Biggie throughout the rapper's career and he'll certainly be able to provide a lot of input.

In addition to Wallace and Combs, Notorious will be produced by Biggie's managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts and Robert Teitel (Barbershop). Supposedly the project's previous director, Antoine Fuqua, had problems with the film being produced by people more knowledgeable about music than film, but new helmer George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food) shouldn't have the same issues. Aside from the fact that Tillman's experienced producing partner (Teitel) is on board, the director hopefully understands the importance and benefit of working with so many people who knew Biggie. The actual script, written by Cheo Hodari Coker and Reggie Bock Bythewood (Get on the Bus), is based on Coker's book Unbelievable: The LIfe, Death and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G. And as we learned last week, the part of Biggie will be cast with an unknown. According to the IMDb, other Biggie projects in the works include a made-for-cable movie titled Notorious, about the deaths of Biggie and Tupac, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone (!) and a new documentary titled Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life.

Way, way back in July of 2005, we posted about Biggie Smalls getting his own feature biopic. Voletta Wallace, his mother, was producing, Cheo Hodari Coker was writing the script and Antoine Fuqua was in talks to direct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director wasn't sure about the project because of the amount of control the producers were having in the script -- Wallace, as well as former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts. Now Antoine is out, and Men of Honor helmer George Tillman is in.

And that's not all -- they're gearing up to hunt for an unknown to star. Starting this Sunday at 3 am EDT, hopefuls can submit audition videos to Fox Searchlight and Biggie Casting. Barrow says: "As it relates to the individual Christopher Wallace -- his looks, his stature, what he represented, the swagger, the sensibility of the man -- all those elements are very difficult to find, no matter where you go. In the typical Hollywood world, no one came to mind outside of Forest Whitaker who could capture that essence genuinely." Yeah, he's a bit too old -- being in his mid-40's -- since Smalls was killed at the age of 24. So instead, some lucky person out there is going to take on the part.

They're really pushing the real person or "humanity within" Notorious B.I.G. -- and it's obviously a passion project for the film's producers. Now, only time will tell if they're a little too involved, like Fuqua suggests. It's great to get the inner view from trusted people close to the rapper, but do you think they're too close to translate the story to the big screen?