Eddie Murphy To Star As Rudy Ray Moore

Article by Aaron Haughton

Bitch, are you for real?!?!

Yes, it's true. Eddie Murphy will make his triumphant return, following his 2016 bomb Mr. Church, as Rudy Ray Moore, beloved comedian and actor infamous for his satirical blaxploitation character Dolemite, in Dolemite Is My Name. 

Honestly, there's a lot to rally behind here. Not only is this a perfect role for Murphy, who's been eager to play this role for the better part of a decade, but it could be enough to revitalize his career and unbury himself from his menagerie of recent stinkers — Mr. Church holds a 19% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 2012's A Thousand Words holds an astounding 0%. 

However, there's more than just the hope for a Murphy comeback though. There are legitimately great creatives attached to this project as well, such as Hustle and Flow director Craig Brewer and screenwriting duo Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are responsible for a string of successful biopics like Big Eyes, Ed Wood, and The People Vs. Larry Flynt. 

And, of course, there's the hope that this film will bring to into the focus the wonderfully hilarious absurdity of Rudy Ray Moore, who sadly slide out of prominence with the blaxploitation movement. 

Moore started his club act back in the 1970s where he donned the persona of Dolemite, a pimp and hustler, and began generating records that mixed humor with this ghetto fantasy character, burnishing the legend that is Dolemite. The proceeds from the record allowed Moore to self-finance the 1975 film Dolemite, which ignited three sequels. 

Moore's Dolemite character often spoke in rhyme, and his character is credited as one of the early influencers of hip-hop, even inspiring the likes of Snoop Dogg and Tupac. So, there's a lot to get excited about with this film; however, it is coming out through Netflix distribution, which is troublesome given their spotty track record. 

What do you think? Are you excited to see Murphy return? Could this film ruin Dolemite's legacy? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and be sure to stay in the Viddy Well loop...because an untied knot is just a string!