Want to advertise on
The Movie Blog?

Click here for
information!

» News

Marlon Wayans to Replace Murphy in Richard Pryor Biopic

By Rodney - October 8, 2009 - 06:12 America/Montreal

My entire basis of anticipation of Eddie Murphy as Richard Pryor was based solely on his Richard Pryor impression he does in his standup features. He nailed everything about Pryor’s sound and act. So I was leaning toward hopefulness and waited to see.

But that isn’t happening anymore because Eddie is off the project and word has it that Marlon Wayons is going to replace him.

Get the Big Picture says:

Murphy and Paramount had “conflicts,” but let’s be honest about it: He made $20 million or more for Meet Dave and Imagine That, which is a little less than both movies made combined in the US.

So Murphy moved on, leaving the film without its central figure. Entertainment Weekly says Wayans is in “advanced discussions” to play Pryor, and based solely on his work in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, he might be able to pull it off. Producers were apparently impressed enough by a transformative screen test to stop their search, so we’ll see.

They seem pretty impressed with his screen test that they are currently not taking other auditions for now, so we will have to wait and see.

Again.

» 32 Comments

  1. Ifaz says:

    I think I am the only one who laughed his ass off while seeing White Chicks[please don't attack me]. Hated his other spoof movies though.

  2. V says:

    There was another quote from Hollywood Insider/Entertainment Weekly that says the producers were “blown away” by the 13-minute screen test. Which is much stronger than “impressed enough”.

    Marlon Wayans has been in some of the worst movies in the world. Just some seriously cheesy, bad films. BUT RfaD did show some real talent, so lets see.

  3. Ifaz says:

    I still don’t understand how he ended up doing Scary Movie just after he did Requiem for a Dream.

  4. Anthony says:

    Could someone please explain how Marlon Wayans keeps getting roles based off of Requiem? Don’t get me wrong it was a great movie and an excellent performance from him but it was 9 years ago! It wasn’t like after Requiem he went on to do more serious roles, it was followed up by Scary Movie, White Chicks, and that movie where he was a grown man pretending to be a baby. I mean based off of recent past performances Stewie Griffin has stronger lead in roles than Marlon Wayans.
    I read he got GI Joe because of his Requiem performance as well.

    • Anti-Septic says:

      Exactly, one decent acting performance in Requiem and he keeps getting shots, personally I think it was a fluke and will never happen again.

      Wayan’s all but killed G.I. Joe for me, every second he was on screen was like Chinese water torture.

      • thematticus says:

        All that was bad about that movie, and Wayans was what killed it for you?

      • bigsampson says:

        haha your a joke imo if u think wayans killed that movie…he was actually the best part of the movie other then hot ass baroness….seriously man there where alot of other things u should have named firt then wayans.

      • Anti-Septic says:

        Sure there were many things that bugged me about the G.I. JOE film but nothing bigger than Marlon Wayan’s performance. If you think Marlon was the best part of the movie then you have seriously low expectations.

        I have given my reasons why I thought he was bad below in another post, and you haven’t given any reasons about why his performance was good for you. If you are going to disagree with someone then be kind enough to explain your reasoning!

        Why in your mind was he the best part of the film? Please enlighten me.

  5. Lu Galasso says:

    I’ll wait and see…seems like this role was made for Eddie, but he’s certainly getting on in years.

    • bigsampson says:

      and he is extremely dar from what he was in his prime…when was the last time u heard eddie say a bad word or not act like a robot made from disney..imo eddie left what real fans he had along time ago for kids movies…which isnt a bad thing…but try getting your haircut next to charlie murphy at a black barber shop and listen to what he and the others say about eddie…they all agree he isnt funny anymore,.

    • bjon86 says:

      Yea um what ever happen to using an actor who actually LOOKS like the real life person he is playing??? Umm am I on crack or does Eddie Murphy not look at ALL like Prior?? UUMMMM yea….

  6. thematticus says:

    I hope he can pull it off. It’s possible. On the surface it seems like replacing Lobster with Skittles, but not many people thought Ledger could pull of a good Joker,either. Anything is possible.

  7. GODFATHER says:

    NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

    ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? This has got to be the worst news I’ve heard for casting in a long long time! As a Richard Pryor fan since my child years, I’d have loved to see someone that could actually act, play him (maybe even not Eddie), but this, is just plain crappy news!

  8. Gigan300 says:

    There replacing someone who was funny with someone who was never funny?.

    • bigsampson says:

      so says you…i love marlan wayans

      • bjon86 says:

        yea I agree with bigsampson. Dude is funny. As a matter of fact…the only time I’ve heard people talk shit about the Wayans brothers was when I came on these movie sites. Ya’ll are a bunch of fuckin haters. Like…seriously. It’s like a goddamn infectious disease on here.

  9. Andrew says:

    The only time I’ve ever liked one of the Wayans brothers was when Damon Wayans did that funny movie, Major Payne. I thought that movie was hilarious. And, actually, to tell you the truth, I don’t really mind that TV show that Damon Wayans does either (sorry, can’t remember the title at the top of my head.)

  10. 420BAND says:

    JO-JO Dancer Your Life is Calling was enough and had PRYOR Himself doing Himself…Why do another one?

    And as for Marlon: You Brought Your BITCH to the Waffle House?

    He actually was good in G.I. JOE (or was G.I. Joe that bad?)

    • Anti-Septic says:

      We musta been watching a different movie because Marlan Wayans was terrible in G.I. JOE, it wasn’t the greatest movie but it was clear he was the weak link in the movie. He had no chemistry with Rachel Nichols who was supposed to be his love interest, the whole thing was just awkward and unbelievable that they could actually fall for each other. Also, he was not believable as a special forces op, sheesh I could just go on and on.

      • Anti-Septic says:

        Maybe in your theater but that experience didn’t happen where I viewed it.

        Hey if you enjoyed his performance more power to you, glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate your explanation of why you thought he was good, I just disagree is all.

      • GODFATHER says:

        I’m totally with Anti-Septic on the crappy acting of Mr. Wayans in G I Joe… Mind you, I thought the whole movie was a piece of crap…

  11. diskjokk says:

    I dunno. I think some of you are over reacting. Marlon Wayans can be a good actor when put into a good film with a solid script. If the Producers of this new Pryor film were “blown away” by Marlon’s 13 minute screen test, than that’s saying something isn’t it?

    It sounds like the producers have found a person who can play Pryor with all of his mannerisms almost perfectly. I say we wait and see what Marlon can do with this project if he is hired to play one of the most famous comedians of our time.

  12. David Lopan says:

    I’m always for giving an actor a chance to go into a different caliber of acting…let’s see how he does. I enjoyed him in Requiem and The Ladykillers (even though I seem to be one of the only people who liked the ladykillers, I just thought the cast of characters had great chemistry off each other, especially Tzi Ma.)

  13. bigsampson says:

    im gonna be real…before bosum buddies no one saw tom hanks as a serious actor…same with mel gibson and a lot of other actors….you can be jusgemental as u want but i would wait to see if he can act….i agree RfaD came out 10 years ago almost but he still was superb in that flick….no usually if u can act once u can act twice…plus richard pryor has been well documented so picking up his ways shouldnt be that hard for a comedian.

    • WholeBlack says:

      Yea Bigs, he was great in Requiem. Matter of fact, I think many comedians are better dramatic actors than the average actor.
      (on a side note, Robert Downey jr. is has better comedic chops than many comedic actors.)
      But you are correct, he did great material once, he can do it again.
      But like RODNEY said, (not John…sorry Rodney)
      I too relate to Murphy’s impression of Pryor, and it was great. Especially the reference to Bill Cosby, “tell him to suck my dick”

      • bigsampson says:

        ya i too loved eddie’s enthusiasm in the old days….ah i remember my first time watching him…but even in interviews something has happened to him (and im not talking about becoming a family man..so they say). he just doesnt have the timing he once had and its just not the same…..now i could see him nailing it but i also see him fucking it up with his serious lack of current charisma on screen (not to mention asshole moves like leaving the oscars)

      • WholeBlack says:

        Yea, that was an asshole move. Forgot about that.

  14. MJS says:

    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.

» Leave a Reply