Eddie Murphy Set to Portray Funk Music Legend in 'Passion Project'

Eddie Murphy will play another legend after playing maverick comedian Rudy Ray Moore. The comedian is reportedly in talks to play George Clinton, the leader of the iconic funk groups Parliament and Funkadelic. The movie will be part of a three-picture deal Murphy signed with Amazon after the success of Coming 2 America and is described as a "passion project" for him.

Murphy will produce the film alongside John Davis, and Catherine Davis of Davis Entertainment reports Deadline. The producers are in the middle of getting the rights to Clinton's music. Once they have accomplished that, the next step is hiring writers.

Clinton, 80, is considered one of the most influential funk musicians, helping build the genre's foundation alongside contemporaries James Brown and Sly Stone. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, alongside 15 other members of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. In 2019, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Clinton's music was also highly influential to hip-hop artists, including Wu-Tang Clan, Outkast, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, and many more.

Murphy and Davis Entertainment previously worked together on Dolemite Is My Name, a biopic about Moore, the Blaxploitation star and comedian. The film was released on Netflix and earned critical acclaim. It was seen as a significant comeback for Murphy, who earned a Golden Globe nomination. Murphy's latest movie is Coming 2 America, which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Murphy also earned an Emmy for his triumphant return to Saturday Night Live in December 2019.

Before Murphy can play Clinton, he has two more projects to finish. You People is first. The Netflix movie is directed by Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, who co-wrote the script with star Jonah Hill. The plot follows a new couple and their families, who try to overcome cultural clashes and societal expectations. Netflix plans to release the film before the end of 2022.

This summer, Murphy will film Beverly Hills Cop 4, 28 years after he last played Axel Foley on the big screen. The new movie will be released on Netflix, with Bad Boys For Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah directing. Josh Appelbaum, Will Beal, and Andre Nemec wrote the script. Murphy also starred in the 2013 CBS Beverly Hills Cop pilot, but CBS passed on the series, so Paramount chose to start work on the fourth film. Murphy is also reportedly involved in a Twins sequel.