Once Lee Daniels announced his involvement in an upcoming Richard Pryor biopic from The Weinstein Company, several actors threw their hat in the ring in hopes of landing the coveted role. Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Michael B. Jordan were all being looked at, but then Mike Epps‘ name emerged. Apparently he had blown people away with his screen test for a previous version of the biopic, and he quickly became the frontrunner.
Now, via Twitter, Daniels confirmed that the actor has signed on for the role. You can check out the Tweet below:
Get ready y’all- #MikeEpps as #RichardPryor pic.twitter.com/0sothu7yVB
— lee daniels (@leedanielsent) August 24, 2014
The biopic is still without a title, and it’s unclear when the director will get around to making it, but with Epps now set to take the lead, you can bet that things will get moving quickly on this one. And, seeing as TWC is behind it, it’s likely that the film will be positioned as an awards contender.
So far, Epps is the only cast member signed on, but apparently both Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway were being eyed for the role of Pryor’s widow, Jennifer. Nothing has been confirmed on that front just yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted once we hear more.
Tell us, who was your choice to take on the role of Richard Pryor? Do you think Mike Epps is the right man for the job? Sound off below.
