Marlon Wayans to Star in Richard Pryor Biopic

Posted by on October 7th, 2009   Filed under: Biopic, Comedy, Drama
Source: Variety

wayanspryorbiopic

Earlier this year we heard rumours that Dreamgirls director Bill Condon was in the process of shopping around a Richard Pryor biopic, and that Eddie Murphy was loosely attached to star. At the time, a lot of people had doubts about seeing Murphy in the role, but I have a feeling there will be even more doubters now that Condon has decided to set the movie up with a different, slightly less expensive actor: Marlon Wayans.

Variety reports that Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison are currently finalizing a deal for Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? with Marlon Wayans in the lead role and the budget coming in under $20 million. Both Adam Sandler and Chris Rock are on board as producers, and word on the street is that Sandler may even make a cameo in the film as Richard Pryor’s first manager, Sandy Gallin.

Clearly Richard Pryor was a groundbreaking comedian with a compelling life story, and both Sandler and Rock are doing all they can to make this movie happen. But is Marlon Wayans the right guy to star? Despite his involvement in such movies as Little Man, White Chicks, and yes, even Dungeons & Dragons, let’s not forget that he did have decent performances in Requiem for a Dream and The Ladykillers. What do you think, can you see Marlon Wayans as Richard Pryor or has this project just taken a turn for the worst?



  • fatbologna

    This is really one for the books…headshakingly bad idea…

  • Big Hungry

    I would like to give him a chance.

  • swarez

    He was really good in Requiem so I think he could pull it off. Strange that they didn’t go with Murphy though. One would think that if you got the offer to play your hero you’d jump at it, no matter the price, if it was a matter of pay to begin with.

  • MJS

    I think he might be able to pull it off.

    I’m sure that there were many people who thought it was a bad idea to cast Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, after all he had previously starred in the likes of Booty Call and The Players Club, but he proved the naysayers wrong.

  • I don’t know, Steve Harvey has one thick super mustache. He grows more hair on his upper lip than I grow on my whole face.

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  • Rick

    i agree with you swarez, but at the same time i think it’s jumping the gun to say that this movie is going to suck now. Marlon, even though most his rolls are teenage, immiture, stoner comedies, i think he could do a good job in this roll. Obviously he can because they wouldn’t cast him if he didn’t do something that they liked. So yeah, don’t count it out yet.

  • Jackson

    Maybe they thought that Murphy was too old to play Pryor. Wayans isn’t a bad actor and he looks young, it’s easier to take a young person and make them look older than visa versa. Even though he has done a lot of shitty movies, in all of those films he is always doing a range of characters, which means he can pull off Pryor probably.

  • Matt

    The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Marlon as Pryor. Marlon is a decent actor, and this role could make him break out. But there is one aspect of Richard Pryor, that Marlon cannot poosibly hope to match. And that is the fact that Richard Pryor had the finest mustache this side of Tom Selleck. Mmm, that’s a good mustache.

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  • Richard Pryor already made a pseudo-biopic that he directed and starred in titled “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling”. It was ok.

  • Captain N

    Murphy and Marlon Wayan’s have starred in equally has shitty flicks over the past few years but aside from Dreamgirls, Murphy isn’t exactly known for his dramatic chops. Wayan’s has a few under his belt and can act when he needs too. Is this going to be similar to Man on the Moon in tone?

    Speaking of comedian biopics, and this is slightly off topic maybe, but I’d like to see a George Carlin biopic. Maybe with Jason Lee as Carlin.

  • Cee Money

    He’s a good actor but for the role Richard Pryor you should try Mike Epps. (CEO OF DARKROOM ent)