The Weinstein Company is ready to move forward with its hotly anticipated Richard Pryor biopic now that Mike Epps is set to play the iconic comic and will be directed by Lee Daniels (The Butler).
In addition to Epps, Oprah Winfrey will be playing Pryor’s grandmother, who raised him in a brothel; Eddie Murphy will play his father, LeRoy “Buck Carter” Pryor; and Kate Hudson will play Jennifer Lee Pryor, the comedian’s widow.
Bill Condon and Danny Strong are responsible for the script, and Nina Yang Bonglovi and Bruce Cohen will produce along with Jennifer Lee Pryor. It’s hard to know which part of Pryor’s life the film will focus on, but since Winfrey has taken on the role of his grandmother, it is apparent that they will feature his tumultuous childhood. Epps has been in the running for this part against several actors over the film’s many incarnations, and has expressed that he is humbled to be taking part in this project.
Epps is repped by CAA.
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Lance Boyle | Staff Writer
This news was first reported by Deadline.
