As many know, Eddie Murphy has always credited Richard Pryor as being his inspiration for getting into comedy. He pretty much did a perfect imitation of him in his concert film Raw, and even casted him in his directorial effort Harlem Nights. So it was just seem natural that he would star in the film about his idol's life.So it was a big shock when Entertainment Weekly broke the story last week that Murphy was dropping out of the Pryor biopic. The movie, called "Richard Pryor: Is it Something I Said," will be written and directed by Bill Condon. Condon was also behind Dreamgirls, the 2006 musical that earned Murphy his only Oscar nomination. According to the report, Murphy left over conflicts with the project's original studio, Paramount Pictures.
Even more surprising is the identity of the star who is stepping into the role of Pryor: Marlon Wayans. EW.com reports that Wayans filmed a 13-minute screen test where he "transforms into Pryor" that secured the role for him.
While the movie will obviously have its share of comedy -- its producers include Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, along with Pryor's widow Jennifer Lee Pryor -- it will also tell the dramatic story of the comic's battles with drug addiction. There is no word yet if it goes into Pryor's later years when he was confined to a wheelchair due to multiple sclerosis. The film is set to begin shooting in the spring.
*Reported by Entertainment Weekly
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