Acclaimed star of Scary Movie and G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra Marlon Wayans is reportedly set to play Richard Pryor in the upcoming Bill Condon–directed biopic Is it Something I Said, say EW and Hitfix today. Eddie Murphy had originally been set to star, but he purportedly dropped out over unspecified disagreements with Paramount. According to EW, Wayans blew producers away with a screen test during which he “transformed into Pryor,†though they don’t say whether he employed CGI technology, like in Little Man, or makeup, as in White Girls. But he did capably portray an addict in 2000’s Requiem for a Dream, so we suppose this isn’t, technically, the worst idea we’ve ever heard.
Exclusive: Marlon Wayans in talks to play Richard Pryor [Hollywood Insider/EW]
Confirmed: Marlon Wayans to replace Eddie Murphy as ‘Richard Pryor’ [Hitfix]
Marlon Wayans Takes Over For Eddie Murphy In ‘Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said’ Biopic [Playlist]