As development for Richard Pryor’s biopic continues, the much anticipated flick has made another adjustment to its ever-changing production team.
According to Deadline.com, Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker has been tapped alongside Pryor’s widow, Jennifer Pryor, to replace Bill Condon as the film’s director through Whitaker’s production company, Significant Productions.
Though previous versions of the developing project reportedly had the likes of Martin Scorsese, Eddie Murphy, and Damon Wayans (to name a few) involved, it remains unclear if Condon’s leading choice, Marlon Wayans, will still portray the legendary comedian in Whitaker’s revamped script.
Upon the initial announcement of Wayans affiliation with the long discussed film, some felt indifferent about him filling the shoes of Pryor due to his previous roles.
"Look, I want to be able to make the stupidest movies ever, because they make people laugh and they make money," Wayans admitted to the Los Angeles Times in 2010.
"But that's not all I want to do. And I think I've proven to some people -- the ones paying attention -- that I can do more. Everybody else, well, they can wait and see and make up their mind."
More recently the “In Living Color” star admitted while promoting his film, “Haunted House,” that he still has his eyes set on the role.
"I started out wanting to play a great and now I want to be a great," he told CNN in January. "Hopefully 'Haunted House' will do well. I raised the money to get this one done and hopefully we will get Pryor done."
In addition to Wayans’ potential candidacy, comedian Mike Epps is also set to portray Richard Pryor in the forthcoming Nina Simone biopic, “Nina.”
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