Eddie Murphy Returns To Acting In New Comedy
Hopefully it's not Coming 3 America.
You’ll be able to see Eddie Murphy’s next big comedy at the same place you saw his last big comedy: Amazon Prime Video. The Beverly Hills Cop star just signed on to the Christmas comedy Candy Cane Lane, which is set to begin production this winter in Los Angeles, according to Deadline. Not much is known about the film, except that it is written by Kelly Younger, and is based on his childhood experiences from the holidays. A release date on the Prime Video streaming service has not yet been announced.
The film is the first of three movies Eddie Murphy will make for Amazon Studios under a deal he signed last year. That deal came on the heels of the resounding success of Murphy’s Coming 2 America, which premiered on Prime Video in 2021 after the COVID pandemic caused it to miss its theatrical release with Paramount. It ended up becoming the most popular film on Prime Video and one of the biggest movies to premiere on streaming last year. Amazon Studios was keen to sign Murphy as part of their ongoing battle with Netflix for original streaming content supremacy. Prime Video is the #2 streaming service in the world behind Netflix, and boasts around 77 million subscribers.
The film will be directed by Reginald Hudlin, who directed one of Murphy’s biggest hits of the 1990s, Boomerang. Hudlin recently directed Safety for Disney+, Marshall in 2017, and The Ladies Man in 2000. He also directed the 1990s cult classic comedy House Party. Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment, who produced Murphy’s Bowfinger and Nutty Professor films, will produce alongside Eddie Murphy and his production company, as well as Amazon Studios. Kelly Younger previously worked with the Disney Animation Story Trust, on films including Frozen 2 and Moana. He is the co-creator and co-executive producer of the Disney+ series Muppets Now.
The impact of Murphy’s career cannot be overstated. One of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1980s and 1990s, Murphy transitioned from Saturday Night Live star to movie star practically overnight, with the success of films like Trading Places, 48 Hours, The Golden Child, the Beverly Hills Cop series, and Coming to America. He even made his mark in children’s films, scoring hits with the Shrek movies, Daddy Day Care, Doctor Dolittle, and as the voice of Mushu in Disney’s Mulan. He even won an Emmy in 2020 for his hosting of an episode of Saturday Night Live.
The 61-year-old Oscar nominee (2006’s Dreamgirls) has seen his career revitalized in recent years with new films made for streaming services. His performance in the 2019 Netflix film Dolemite Is My Name earned him rave reviews, and he is due to reprise his iconic role of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop 4, as the long-awaited sequel is currently in pre-production and will also be released on Netflix. The film will be directed by Mark Molloy, who signed on to the film in April and is making his feature film directorial debut. Netflix will also release Murphy’s comedy You People, co-starring Jonah Hill. Murphy is also developing a film based on music legend George Clinton, with Murphy playing the funk and R&B legend. That film is still looking for a studio while in development.
