Eddie Murphy to Play Marion Barry in HBO Biopic From Spike Lee

[Reginald Hudlin]

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:

Eddie Murphy to Play Marion Barry in HBO Biopic From Spike Lee
John Ridley would pen the script for the untitled project.
9:15 PM PST 12/8/2011 by Philiana Ng

hBO Films is developing an untitled television biopic centered on former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, whom Murphy would play should the project move forward, a source confirms to THR.

Spike Lee is attached to direct with John Ridley to pen the script. Murphy, Lee and Ridley would all serve as executive producers as the Washington Post first reported.

Journalists Harry Jaffe and Tom Sherwood have been tapped to consult, along with The Nine Lives of Marion Barry filmmakers Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer. Jaffe and Sherwood penned a book published in 1994 entitled Dream City detailing politics in D.C.

Barry served as the D.C. mayor from 1979 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 1999, and is currently a member of the D.C. City Council representing the city's eighth ward. In January 1990, Barry was caught smoking crack cocaine at the Vista International Hotel in downtown and was arrested on drug charges, serving six months in prison.

[Hypestyle]

...awesome news.. I've felt for years Eddie should do more dramas.. I wish it were a theatrical release, at least a limited run.. at the very least Eddie should get a Golden Globe.. he could get an Oscar for sure..

[jackson35]

hbo is going to tarnish this man legacy. you wait and see.

[JLI Jesse]

hbo is going to tarnish this man legacy. you wait and see.

Legacy?  Like the drugs, tax evasion and stalking?

[Kristopher]

hbo is going to tarnish this man legacy. you wait and see.

Legacy?  Like the drugs, tax evasion and stalking?

Yes, he DOES have a legacy in the DC area and in the Civil Rights Movement Loooooonnnnnngggggg before the drug addiction started. Blacks in the DC government were being pissed on and passed over for promotion  at the managers level and higher in favor of (surprise) White people before Barry came to power and made things RIGHT. The old (White) boy network was in full effect when it came time to government contracts, before Barry came along and made it RIGHT! Perhaps he'd get a pass if he was caught playing fag footsie in an Airport bathroom or something?

[Vic Vega]

Even if Eddie gets an Emmy for this it won't make up for the Oscar he was jerked out of.

As for Mr. Barry its a sad truth that what you WERE never cancels out what you become.

Look at Rangel.
 
Or Spitzer.

[JLI Jesse]

playing fag footsie

Well that's just unnecessary

[Reginald Hudlin]

playing fag footsie

Well that's just unnecessary

Second.

[jackson35]

whenever HBO attach themselves to a project that concern the black community it always end up in the toilet.

[Kristopher]

playing fag footsie

Well that's just unnecessary

Oh REALLY? Well so was this:

Legacy?  Like the drugs, tax evasion and stalking?

Do your homework, instead of dropping the "smartass comment" card. You aren't the only one who can play that game. Feel me?

[Kristopher]

whenever HBO attach themselves to a project that concern the black community it always end up in the toilet.

No, it's just that mainstream, i.e. WHITE, audiences do not give a rats buttocks about what goes on in "black community" unless there's a Caucasian hero in the mix to show darkies "the way". The Sugar Ray Robinson project they(HBO) did was excellent, but I'll put money on the table that the upcoming Freddy Roach special series will get more accolades than a documentary about the Greatest Boxer in the history of the sport.....because he did it his way.

[JLI Jesse]

playing fag footsie

Well that's just unnecessary

Oh REALLY? Well so was this:

Legacy?  Like the drugs, tax evasion and stalking?

Do your homework, instead of dropping the "smartass comment" card. You aren't the only one who can play that game. Feel me?

I'll admit I do not know much about what Barry did a long time ago.  But for someone of my generation, who didn't grow up in DC, his trouble with the law is what he is known for.  It's unfortunate, but personal misdeeds usually cloud out the rest.  I've worked in DC for the past 7 years (and was somewhat associated with Ward 8 for four of those) and I don't think I've heard a positive news story about him in that time.

[Kristopher]

playing fag footsie

Well that's just unnecessary

Oh REALLY? Well so was this:

Legacy?  Like the drugs, tax evasion and stalking?

Do your homework, instead of dropping the "smartass comment" card. You aren't the only one who can play that game. Feel me?

I'll admit I do not know much about what Barry did a long time ago.  But for someone of my generation, who didn't grow up in DC, his trouble with the law is what he is known for.  It's unfortunate, but personal misdeeds usually cloud out the rest.  I've worked in DC for the past 7 years (and was somewhat associated with Ward 8 for four of those) and I don't think I've heard a positive news story about him in that time.

I didn't grow up in DC either, I just read a lot. I guess it depends on were you get your "news" from.

[jackson35]

the sugar ray Robinson project was easy to put together, I was talking about the Patrice lummumba project. black folfs should have put hbo out of business for that bullsh*t.