USA NETWORK ANNOUNCES SERIES PICKUP FOR "UNSOLVED: THE MURDERS OF TUPAC AND THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G."

From Universal Cable Productions, the Anthology Series Depicts the Tragic Murders of Hip-Hop's Most Iconic Rappers and the Investigations that Followed Series Stars Josh Duhamel, Jimmi Simpson, Bokeem Woodbine and Newcomers Wavyy Jonez and Marcc Rose

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA -- May 11, 2017 -- USA Network today announced a pickup for the anthology series UNSOLVED: THE MURDERS OF TUPAC AND THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. The true crime series, from Universal Cable Productions, will chronicle the dual police investigations into the controversial murders of two of the rap industry's most legendary players, Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.). The series is expected to air in the first quarter of 2018.

The network also revealed new casting for the series with Jamie McShane ("Bloodline") taking on the role of Detective Fred Miller, the partner of lead investigator Russell Poole in the 1997 open case. Brent Sexton ("The Killing") will portray Detective Brian Tyndall, a robbery homicide detective who worked with Poole in 1997 and Greg Kading in the 2006 reopening of the investigation.

McShane and Sexton join previously announced cast, which includes newcomer Wavyy Jonez as Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.), Marcc Rose as Tupac Shakur, Josh Duhamel as Detective Greg Kading, Jimmi Simpson as Detective Russell Poole and Bokeem Woodbine as Officer Daryn Dupree. Additional cast members include Luke James as Sean "Puffy" Combs, Aisha Hinds as Voletta Wallace, the mother of Biggie Smalls, and Letoya Luckett as Sharitha Golden, the estranged wife of Suge Knight.

Kyle Long (SUITS) will serve as the executive producer, creator, and writer on the series. Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) winner Anthony Hemingway ("The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story") directed the pilot episode and will serve as executive producer alongside Mark Taylor through their Hemingway | Taylor production company. Former LAPD Detective Greg Kading will also serve as co-executive producer. Kading authored the book "Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations," and consulted on the pilot script with Long.

About USA Network:

USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals in more than 102 million U.S. homes. The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV. USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. USA's award-winning website is located at http://www.usanetwork.com. Watch USA Network anywhere: On Demand, online or across mobile and connected TVs.

About Universal Cable Productions:

Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. In the U.S., UCP's programming can be seen across various networks including the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama "Mr. Robot," "Colony," "Falling Water," "Playing House," "Shooter," "The Sinner" and "Suits" on USA Network; "12 Monkeys," "Killjoys" and "The Magicians" on Syfy; "Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce" and "Imposters" on Bravo; "The Arrangement" and "The Royals" on E!; "Difficult People" on Hulu; and "HarmonQuest" on Seeso. UCP's content library includes critic and fan favorites such as the Emmy-award winning "Monk" as well as "Psych" and "Battlestar Galactica." Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.