Netflix Nabs Eddie Murphy For Dolemite Original Biopic

Netflix has picked up Dolemite Is My Name, a biopic starring Eddie Murphy as as Rudy Ray Moore. Production for the film will start next week, according to a new report, though it isn't clear when the content will premiere on the service. This mark's Murphy's first show in a couple years, though the actor also has a couple other movies currently announced and in pre-production.

The last we saw of Murphy was in 2016 with Mr. Church, a movie about a cook named Henry Joseph Church. This time around, Murphy will be playing Moore, who was best known for his role as the pimp Dolemite in a multiple 1970s movies. According to Deadline, which reported the details of the new original biopic, Murphy has been eager to play the role for years.

Moore created the character Dolemite, which picked up popularity in underground circles, ultimately providing the funding he needed to finance the first Dolemite film, that eventually leading to another three movies. Moore's influence was vast, and he later resurrected the character in the 2000 movie Big Money Hustlas.

Dolemite Is My Name was written by Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander. This is the latest big-name announcement Netflix has made this year, the most recent one before it involving a multi-year contract with Barack and Michelle Obama. Under that agreement, Netflix will be home to a variety of content produced by the duo's Higher Ground Productions firm.

SOURCE: Deadline