The biopic on Richard Pryor lives.
Following years of being put to the side, a biopic on the famed comic is coming by the hands of The Butler and Empire director Lee Daniels. Deadline reported the news on Friday.
The project was originally attached to director Bill Condon with Marlon Wayans starring as Pryor, but that project fell apart with The Weinstein Company revitalizing it when Daniels said he would sign on. Along with Daniels, the film will star Mike Epps as Pryor, Eddie Murphy as Pryor’s father, and Oprah Winfrey as Pryor’s grandmother.
Kate Hudson is also attached to play Pryor’s widow, Jennifer Lee.
The script will come from Condon and Empire scribe Danny Strong with Daniels aiming to start filming in March once he wraps on the popular FOX series’ second season. This is the first time Murphy has been attached to the project (he co-starred with Pryor in Harlem Nights) with Winfrey re-joining Daniels’ on their second project together (she also starred in The Butler).
Epps won the role of Pryor, according to Deadline, a year ago after a “killer audition.” He was allegedly up against Marlon Wayans, who was attached to the Condon project, and Nick Cannon.