According to Deadline, Eddie Murphy is in talks to play at George Clinton in a forthcoming biopic. He’s will also be handling executive producer duties alongside Davis Entertainment’s John Davis, Catherine Davis, and John Fox.
Back in September, Murphy locked in a three-picture deal with Amazon Studios, which followed the success of Coming 2 America. It’s presumed that this project, if green-lighted, would be the first to come from that deal.
For the uninitiated, George Clinton is known by many as the “Godfather of Funk,” and has become one of the most pivotal, groundbreaking artists of all time — both as a solo talent and as the frontman of his bands Parliament and Funkadelic. His music is a massive influence in hip hop, particularly in regards to West Coast icons like Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg. OutKast, Redman, and the Wu-Tang Clan have also utilized Clinton’s music for some of their biggest hits.
In addition to the aforementioned venture, Murphy is set to star in the forthcoming comedy film You People, which was written by Kenya Barris and Jonah Hill. Set to be released on Netflix, the ensemble cast also includes Bryan Greenberg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lauren London, Sam Jay, Molly Gordon, Mike Epps, Nia Long, Deon Cole, Rhea Perlman, and David Duchovny.
Following an iconic stand-up career, Murphy made huge waves in Hollywood with films like the Beverly Hills Cop series, the Nutty Professor series, and Dreamgirls, the last of which earned Murphy several awards and nominations for his role as James “Thunder” Early. He’s also found some success in music, releasing the albums How Could It Be, So Happy, and Love’s Alright in the 80’s and 90’s — he’s also collaborated with the likes of Rick James, Shabba Ranks, and Michael Jackson.