Eddie Murphy attached to Richard Pryor Biopic

EW broke the news earlier today…

Writer/director Bill Condon, who just completed his debut run as producer of the 2009 Academy Awards, is shopping his script Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? to the studio subsidiaries and independent distributors around town. Eddie Murphy is attached to star. Sources tell EW.com that Fox Searchlight, the studio behind this year’s big Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, is interested in the film. The studio, which declined comment, has a relationship with Condon, having partnered with the director on his 2004 feature Kinsey. Condon, who most recently wrote and directed Dreamgirls, had the Pryor biopic set up at The Weinstein Company but was able to pull it out when the indie outfit put it into turnaround. He initially was hoping to secure $30 million to produce the film, but that number, sources say, has dropped down to $25 million. Murphy, who has featured Pryor impersonations in his act as far back as the 1987 concert movie Raw, seems a likely choice for this role.

Appears that Eddie is making another run for an Oscar… great!! I was on the Murphy Band-wagon back in 2006 when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal as James “Thunder” Early in ‘Dreamgirls’. Murphy devoured every scene he was in and it was a once-in-a-lifetime role. Unfortunately the Oscar went to Alan Arkin. Looks like Eddie will have one more chance and good for him!