The Richard Pryor biopic has been in production for a very long time, but The Weinstein Company looks to get things moving again as they are now in talks with Lee Daniels to direct. As for their leading man, Harvey and Bob currently have their eye on Michael B. Jordan, with Eddie Murphy and Damon Wayans also said to be in the running. So with a director in place and the hunt for an actor currently underway, we might actually be seeing this project come to fruition in the next year or two.
Then again, as I mentioned, this film has faced many, many setbacks and hurdles and until it officially goes into production, I wouldn’t bother getting excited. Still, the possibility of Daniels and Jordan working together on this one is intriguing. Pryor is perhaps the most influential comedian of all time, but he also had some serious personal demons (drugs, alcohol, domestic violence) that he dealt with, which should make for an interesting film, especially in the talented hands of Daniels and Jordan.
For those who are worried that Pryor’s story may not be done justice, fear not. His wife Jennifer has agreed to work with TWC to ensure that her husband’s story gets told properly. She’s even allowing them to use pages from his private journal, allowing the filmmakers to really get inside the comedian’s head and understand him.
Hopefully in the coming months we’ll hear more on this one but for now, tell us, who do you want to see play Richard Pryor in the upcoming biopic? Let us know in the comments section below.
