Pass The Popcorn: Lee Daniels Drops Out Of Ill-Fated Richard Pryor Biopic
Pass The Popcorn: Lee Daniels Drops Out Of Ill-Fated Richard Pryor Biopic

Richard Pryor Biopic Will Be "Dark, Raw, Sad & Scary," Producer Promises

The Richard Pryor movie has been in works for years, but at the very least we know that when it does see the light of day it won't be diluted in regards to its content.

In an interview with Collider producer Bruce Cohen said that they are tackling the film "full on."

"The script is as dark, and raw, and sad, and scary in some ways but ultimately inspiring as well as a script can be," Cohen stated.

There is definitely a lot for Cohen and the rest of his team to explore. From Pryor's attempted suicide in the '80s and his string of divorces, to the iconic comedian's cocaine abuse and mistreatment as a child, Cohen assures fans that the film will not shy away from anything.

With that said why is the movie not out yet? Or at the very least, why have we not seen any teasers or trailers? Is it because of the subject matter? Cohen expounds on that too:

"I wouldn't say that's really part of the problem because the financiers really they're looking at the value of the film. They're not concerned per se if something's really dark, but we didn't get any help from that. If it was a romantic comedy it would be easier to get our funding together."

Hopefully we will hear more news about the Pryor movie soon, especially considering the announcement that came a couple months back, where Jay Zreportedly joined the biopic as a producer.

The movie's cast had been previously announced with Mike Epps as Pryor; Eddie Murphy as his father, Leroy “Buck Carter” Pryor; Oprah Winfrey as his grandmother; and Kate Hudson as Pryor's widow Jennifer Lee Pryor. The script has been written by Bill Condon, with the title of the movie taken from Pyror’s Grammy winning live album, released in 1975.

A start date for filming has been set for early 2017.

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