Richard Linklater Is Making a Bill Hicks Biopic
We bet this will focus a good deal on Hicks coming up in Texas, perhaps specifically at the Comedy Stop in Houston where Hicks made his bones.
This is one of two biopics that Linklater, a filmmaker famous for working in pretty much any genre of film, has in the works. As such, we’re intrigued to see what angle, both story-wise and style-wise, Richard takes.
Director Michel Hazanavicius wowed Hollywood with a movie about silent film with The Artist. In that vein, he is continuing down his path of movies about movies with telling a specific story (it’s from the perspective of a woman that was married to Godard) in the life of iconic director Jean-Luc Godard, a trailblazing pillar to French New Wave Cinema.
Called Godard Mon Amour, it seems to float playfully between capturing this portion of Godard’s life in 1968 and also delving into his groundbreaking auteur style, which mischievously broke almost all previous filmic conventions.
Get a taste of it with the trailer here.
Look for Godard Mon Amour in a limited theatrical run on April, 20th.
Honestly, the less we tell you about this Last Week Tonight segment that has almost nothing to do with the world going down the toilet and that having to do with Trump being in power, the more you’ll thoroughly enjoy how much fun Oliver and his team can have with the resources that their critically acclaimed HBO show has.
Please enjoy it here.
Richard Pryor Biopic Gets Back on Track as Lee Daniels Returns to Direct and Jay Z Is Set to Produce
We guess that you should really keep your fingers crossed this time?
For so many years, plenty of people have justifiably tried to make a Richard Pryor biopic, but have gotten derailed for a multitude of reasons such as who owns the rights to his story and how they’re willing to let it be told. We thought that Lee Daniels stepping in and The Weinstein Company getting involved would finally see a movie based on the life of the legendary comedian reach the big screen. Yet, Lee Daniels, who was attached as director, had a scheduling conflict with his hit series Empire and he had to leave the project, once again, in limbo.
Though you should save your excitement for when you read the title of this movie on a marquee, it was announced that Daniels will return as director and, additionally, Jay Z will produce. There’s no way that this Pryor biopic isn’t getting made, right? Let’s hope, if it does indeed get released, that it does Pryor justice.
(via The Wrap)
The on-going saga of trying to get a Richard Pryor movie made continues.
For several reasons, a biopic on the life and times of legendary comedian Richard Pryor has been very difficult to make. Trying to find the right person to play Pryor, issues with who from Pryor’s life supports the story that’s being adapted, etc. have all slowed the process.
This latest attempt by The Weinstein Company to make a film about Pryor suffered another blow by losing award winning director Lee Daniels due to scheduling issues.
There’s no word on who will replace them, but we hope, whoever they are, that they’re found soon.
(via /Film)
Really, it’s supposed to be happening this time.
The cast is set with Mike Epps, Eddie Murphy, Oprah Winfrey, and Kate Hudson and Lee Daniels is at the helm and now the entire Richard Pryor biopic is finally set to go into production with The Weinstein Company in March of next year.
After all the years and accompanying problems of trying to do some sort of filmic retelling of any portion of Pryor’s life story, documentary or narrative, one can only hope that now it’s smooth sailing from here all the way to the theatrical release.
(via ET)
As it stands now, acclaimed director Lee Daniels might actually pull off doing a Richard Pryor biopic with Mike Epps starring as Pryor, Kate Hudson playing Jennifer Pryor, and Eddie Murphy, who idolized Pryor, playing Pryor’s father, LeRoy Pryor.
Currently, Eddie is in talks to play the role, but we’re glad to see that Eddie might be involved. Keep your fingers crossed that this attempt, out of the many attempts over the last several years, at Pryor movie actually sees the big screen.
Trying to adapt the biography of Richard Pryor into a big time biopic has been one of the more befuddling movies to make over the last several years, largely due to legal disputes. The role of Pryor has been recast several times with the likes of Marlon Wayons and Nick Cannon, but now the Lee Daniels helmed biopic now has Mike Epps cast as Pryor according to this tweet.
There is still a chance that version of a Richard biopic might hit a snag if legal action on the part of Richard Pryor Jr. also moves forward due to the involvement of Jennifer Lee, Pryor’s widow.
With all of this in mind, the making of this movie could almost be a movie in of itself.
The Saga to Make a Richard Pryor Biopic Possibly Continues with Lee Daniels
For several years, a biopic about legendary comedian Richard Pryor has been attempted to be made several times and has fallen short of being that very biopic.
Perhaps, critically acclaimed director Lee Daniels will be the one to spearhead the movie to being made as he in talks with The Weinstein Company to do this elusive project.
If this happens, this might be the first Lee Daniels movie with a little bit of humor in it.
Emile Hirsch to Play John Belushi in Biopic
The John Belushi biopic is moving forward with the principal character cast in Emile Hirsch and, while they were certain other choices that already look and sound the part of the late Belushi, let’s hope for award caliber performance like he gave in Into The Wild.
Steve Conrad and Todd Phillips to Direct Revived John Belushi Biopic
Comedy biopics seem to be a precarious thing to make. Just off all the attempts at a Richard Pryor biopic should be discouraging at the very least.
With that said, we hope that Todd Phillips and Steve Conrad who has written the upcoming Secret Life of Walter Mitty as well as Weather Man will pull this John Belushi biopic together and make something that could be really great.
There Will Be a Sam Kinison Biopic with Josh Gad Playing Sam Kinison
You should all be excited that a biopic of comedy legend Sam Kinison is closer to becoming a reality. A Kinison biopic has been in the works for awhile, especially since he passed away tragically before he was 40 by getting hit by a teenage drunk driver (In fact, there’s even a great oral history of Sam Kinison’s time in Houston by Kinison expert Julie Seabaugh today over at Chicken Scratch Comedy)
Also, here’s a fun fact: Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison both grew up in Peoria, Il. As people have tried for years, we wonder which movie covering the life of either Richard or Sam will come out first.