The Godfather of Funk will be the next music icon to get the biopic treatment.Deadlinereports thatEddie Murphyis in talks to star in a new biopic about funk music pioneer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer George Clinton. Murphy will also be producing the feature alongside John Davis and Catherine Davis via Davis Entertainment.
This is reportedly a passion project for Murphy, who’s waiting to secure the rights to Clinton’s music and life story before setting writers and shopping the film. Should the project move forward as planned, the biopic will tell Clinton’s life story, begging with his “humble beginnings in North Carolina in the 1940s, to the formation of his groundbreaking band George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, and ultimately to becoming a musical influence on artists of the hip-hop generation including Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Outkast, and Wu-Tang Clan, among many others.”
A funk music innovator, George Clinton is known for his Parliament Funkadelic collective. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 alongside 16 other members of the collective with the whole group getting Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2019. Clinton also can be recognized for his acting work, which includes an appearance as himself in the Nickelodeon movieGood Burger, and, more recently, the voice of King Quincy inTrolls World Tour.
Related:Here Are Some of the Funniest Stand-Up Comedians Netflix Has to Offer
Eddie Murphy Will Have Plenty of Upcoming Projects to Keep Him Busy
Murphy and Davis have some shared biopic experience, having previously collaborated on the hit Netflix movieDolemite Is My Name. That film, which garnered widespread acclaim for Murphy’s performance in the role, starred the actor as Blaxploitation movie legend Rudy Ray Moore. Last year, Murphy also played multiple roles in the comedy sequelComing 2 America, which released straight to streaming on Prime Video. The veteran actor is also set to reprise his role as Axel Foley inBeverly Hills Cop 4, which will start filming for Netflix this summer.
Meanwhile, Murphy will further expand his relationship by co-starring with Jonah Hill in theupcoming comedy from Kenya Barris. The film is described as an “incisive examination of modern love and family dynamics and how clashing cultures, societal expectations and generational differences shape and affect relationships. Murphy and Hill will find themselves on opposite sides of some of those divides.”
In September, it was reported that Murphy had signeda three-project deal with Amazon Studiosfollowing the success ofComing 2 Americaon Prime Video. The pact will see Murphy star in three films and develop original film projects with the potential to star.
“Eddie is a legend both in front of and behind the camera,” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said in a statement at the time. “With undeniable comedic and dramatic genius, he consistently delivers entertaining, original stories and characters to audiences around the world. We could not be more excited to help carry on the tradition and to officially welcome Eddie into the Amazon family.”
The untitled George Clinton biopic doesn’t have a planned release date at this time as the project is still in its early stages of production.
