Shadow and Act | Tambay Obenson
It feels like it’s been a long time since we last saw Eddie Murphy on the big screen. I’m sure he’s comfortable financially, and isn’t exactly pressed to make new money by taking on almost every project that’s offered to him. So when Murphy does attach himself to a project, it immediately gets my attention.
The last time we saw him on the big screen was in “Tower Heist” in 2011. Although there was that terrible “A Thousand Words” which sat in limbo for years after it was made, until Dreamworks finally released it in early 2012 (it was made years before “Tower Heist”) to overwhelmingly negative reviews and weak box office.
Murphy is now teaming up with Netflix to star in a fake documentary titled “Soul Soul Soul: The Murray Murray Story,” which will follow an iconic 1960s soul singer named Murray Murray who plots with his old band to take down hip-hop after a hot new hip-hop artist samples one of his hit original songs.
Chris Case will write the script which Murphy pal Brett Ratner will direct.
Brian Grazer and Tyler Mitchell will produce.
The project moving forward is contingent on script approval, so it may or may not happen, or it may take some time before it does happen.
Murphy will next be seen in “Mr. Church” after he replaced Samuel L. Jackson in the upcoming dramedy which was previously titled “Cook,” but is being released as “Mr. Church.” It tells the story of the friendship between a young white girl and her dying mother, and their African American cook, the Mr. Church in the title of the film, in New Orleans. Murphy is playing Mr. Church.
Deadline was first to report the news of Murphy’s attachment to the Netflix project.