It’s understandable if you’ve never heard of “Dolemite.” The classic blaxploitation film starring Rudy Ray Moore came out in 1975 and launched a franchise that would go down as one of the most interesting of that era. However, in the following decades, as the blaxploitation genre’s shine began to fade, Moore’s films disappeared. But the character of Dolemite has lived on and become influential with hip-hop artists and films borrowing from Moore’s classic line delivery and action.
And because of that, you really should be excited that Netflix has signed Eddie Murphy to star in a film that chronicles the life of Rudy Ray Moore, aka Dolemite. According to Deadline, the actor is set to portray Moore in a new film that begins production next week. This marks the first film for Murphy since 2016’s “Mr. Church.” In recent years, Murphy has been very selective with his film roles.
The film will be directed by Craig Brewer, who is best known for the films “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan,” as well as his TV work on “Empire.” The writing duo of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, best known for films such as “The People v. Larry Flynt,” “Big Eyes,” and “Ed Wood,” penned the script.
If you’re not familiar with the story of Rudy Ray Moore, then you’re in for a treat. The comic/actor/musician got his start working at a record store, where he heard stories of a pimp named Dolemite. These stories became the urban legends that helped Moore create his stage act, where he’d mix comedy, poetry, music, and storytelling as he embodied this fictional character. Eventually, he was able to finance a movie based on the verbose pimp/martial artist. And the rest is history.
No word on a release date, but odds are the untitled Rudy Ray Moore biopic should be coming to Netflix screens worldwide sometime in 2019.