Dolemite is his name, and Eddie Murphy is game to take on the role of the famous blaxpoitation star Rudy Ray Moore. Murphy is set to star in the Netflix biopic Dolemite is My Name, which will chronicle the life of the star of the blaxploitation Dolemite films.
Dolemite is back on the scene! And with him, he’s bringing back Murphy, who has been missing from the feature film scene since last appearing in 2016’s Mr. Church. But even before headlining that dramedy, Murphy’s film roles have been few and far between, with his last major feature role being in 2012’s A Thousand Words. Now, Murphy is set to make a dynamite return to the big screen — well, the streaming screen.
Murphy will star as Rudy Ray Moore in Dolemite is My Name, a biographical film for Netflix written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the duo behind quirky biographical films as Big Eyes, Ed Wood, and The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Deadline reports.
Hustle and Flow‘s Craig Brewer is directing a script by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, the writing team behind such quirky biographical films as Big Eyes, Ed Wood and The People Vs. Larry Flynt. John Davis and John Fox are producing with Murphy, who has been eager to play this role for a decade.
Rudy Ray Moore is a role that Murphy has been eager to play for more than a decade, according to Deadline. Murphy cites Moore’s campy Dolemite series as having a major influence on his career. And indeed, Dolemite, which has been dubbed the “Citizen Kane of kung-fu pimping movies” leaves a wide-lasting legacy on the blaxpoitation genre, which is seeing a sort of revival in satire and in genre films.
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Moore worked in a Hollywood record store in 1970 when he began hearing obscene stories of pimp and hustler named Dolemite. He started a club act where he became Dolemite. He then began generating records that mixed humor and a ghetto fantasy character, burnishing the legend. While too racy to be put on display in record stores, the records became a big inner city underground hit. The proceeds allowed Moore to finance the 1975 film Dolemite, which he starred in as a kung fu-capable pimp ghetto hero who stuck it to The Man. Moore followed with three sequels. He continues to be an influence for the likes of hip hop entrepreneur Snoop Dogg, and he had something of a comeback starring alongside the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse in Big Money Hustlas in 2000.
Moore also played a part in shaping the modern rap scene, influencing hip hop pioneers like Snoop Dogg. He even made a cameo alongside the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse in Big Money Hustlas in 2000. Moore passed away in 2008.
Murphy last starred in 2016’s Mr Church, and before that in 2012’s A Thousand Words. He and Brewer are WME while the scribes are CAA.
(Excerpts) Read More at: SlashFilm.com and Deadline.com
