Richard Pryor Biopic Begins Shooting in the Fall

Posted by on February 24th, 2010   Filed under: Biopic, Comedy
Source: First Showing

pryorbiopic

The long talked about Richard Pryor biopic, tentatively titled Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?, begins shooting in the fall with Marlon Wayans tackling the gigantic (and possibly future Oscar-nominated) role. Originally, Eddie Murphy was supposed to play Pryor, but in October of last year, he was taken out and replaced with Wayans, best known for the first two Scary Movie films as well as the offensively horrible White Chicks. According to Mark Gordon, one of the producers of the film (others include Chris Rock and Jennifer Lee Pryor, Richard’s widow), Eddie Murphy brought along too much baggage to the role, which pretty much amounts to audiences not being able to disconnect from the Murphy they know in order to buy him as Richard Pryor.

Marlon Wayans is an interesting choice though, and a casting announcement I missed so this came as a surprise to me. I cannot stand the movies he’s been in these past few years (Little Man? Really?!?), but he does seem like he is capable of much more than what he has been doing his whole career. In fact, if you check out The Sixth Man, a ’90s film he did in which his dead brother helps his college team reach the NCAA finals, you can see some great flashes of his dramatic capabilities (I’m sure a lot of people will bring up Requiem for a Dream, but I haven’t seen it because I am a horrible person). I for one am excited to see a Wayans brother do something watchable again.

After scanning IMDB, however, I see that White Chicks 2 is in development, and that may kill his Oscar chances, much like Norbit did for Murphy. Do you think Marlon Wayans will nail the role and take the Jamie Foxx route to an Oscar? More importantly, will you join me in a White Chicks 2 boycott if it does get made?



  • Tommy Casual

    Watch Requiem. You’re a horrible person.

  • zim

    me and my friends watching the little man trailer in the theater was my single greatest movie theater experience. don’t be hatin.

  • mrbenning

    Yep. He’s good in Requiem. I’ve always wondered why he didn’t continue with the dramatic roles.

  • Drewsifer

    It would have been interesting to see Dave Chapelle tackle the role, what with his admiration for the guy, plus he needs something special to bing hi
    back that’s not exploitive in anyway.

  • Rick

    :-O YOU HAN’T SEEN REQUIEM. Good lord sullivan, what’s a matter with you?!?!

  • Mike

    you shouldn’t be allowed to write for any movie site until you see that movie

  • I knew that would spark a little outrage, but I’m a big man of honesty and it would have looked dumb if I pretended to see it, didn’t mention it, then everyone would go “HOW COULD YOU FORGET REQUIEM YOU IDIOT?!?” Instead, I just get the me being an idiot for never seeing it instead, which I can deal with.

    I’m getting around to it, I promise.

  • Brendan

    Uh, I think the title of the movie is “Requiem for a Dream.” You shouldn’t be allowed to reply to a film blog post until you know the actual title. The word Requiem was just bigger on the advertising and the dvd box.

  • Brendan

    And since “Requiem for a Dream” came out in 2000, why can’t we judge his acting in what he’s done more recently? Like “White Chicks,” “Little Man,” “Norbit” and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra?”