Tupac rises again

John Singleton's long-delayed Tupac Shakur biopic will begin shooting in June, according to the film's producer, Randall Emmett. He also confirmed that production company Morgan Creek secured the rights to Tupac's music catalog after partnering with the rapper's mother, Afeni Shakur, who will serve as an executive producer. The film will touch on Shakur's upbringing, but its primary focus will be his rise to fame.

Oscar notes

Bradley Cooper scored his third consecutive best-actor nod, a feat matched by only nine other actors: Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, William Hurt and Russell Crowe. Not bad company. … Robert Duvall, at 84, is the oldest man ever nominated in the supporting category. … Alexandre Desplat is competing against himself in the best score category, with nominations for "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Imitation Game."

Back to school

"Community" will premiere on Yahoo on March 17. … Derek Hough won't return for the next season of "Dancing With the Stars." … USA's six-episode drama "Dig," starring Jason Isaacs as an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem, premieres March 15.

They're no strangers

David Fincher, Ben Affleck and "Gone Girl" novelist/screenwriter Gillian Flynn are reuniting to update Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train," setting it on a plane and truncating the title to "Strangers." … Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale will star in "The Big Short," an adaptation of the bestseller about the financial crisis by Michael Lewis ("Moneyball"). … Ansel Elgort ("Divergent," "The Fault in Our Stars") will play a getaway driver who aims to be the best in "Baby Driver."… James Cameron says his "Avatar" sequel has been delayed until 2017. … Oscars, Schmoscars: The Razzie nominations are out, and "Transformers: Age of Extinction" leads the pack. … John Krasinski will play a Navy SEAL in Michael Bay's "13 Hours." … Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") joins the cast of "American Drug Lord."

Evening 'The Odd Couple'

Garry Marshall's reboot of "The Odd Couple" has one key difference besides its new Oscar and Felix (Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon): female writers. "They weren't allowed, they wouldn't hire any," he said of the original series. "I had three of the greatest writers: Susan Silver, who went on to 'Mary Tyler Moore'; Susan Harris ['Soap,' 'Benson,' 'The Golden Girls'], who became one of the best writers in the world; and Susan Miller, who was the head writer on 'Saturday Night Live,' all not hired." He stressed that the addition of female writers has "improved the whole show."

CYNTHIA DICKISON