Richard's biopic to shoot this autumn – with Marlon Wayans starring

The film of Richard Pryor’s life is to begin shooting this autumn – with Marlon Wayans playing the troubled stand-up.

Eddie Murphy had originally been earmarked for the role, but instead it went to the star of White Chicks.

In an interview this weekend, Wayans accepted he was a controversial choice to play such a well-respected comic, given his previous output.

He said: ‘I want to be able to make the stupidest movies ever, because they make people laugh and they make money.

‘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.’

He added: ‘He’s huge, there is so much feeling for Richard Pryor. It's hard to be bigger than Richard Pryor. He changed comedy, and he did it in his own unique way.’

The $20million movie, which is being made with the help Pryor’s widow Jennifer, is due out in late 2011.

Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? Is being written by Bill Condon, whose credits include Chicago and Dream Girls.

And producer Mark Gordon told the LA Times that Wayans’s screen test was ‘absolutely marvelous’ and made him the ‘clear choice’ for the role.

Published: 22 Feb 2010