Comedy Legend to Play Marion Barry in Biopic
Spike Lee to direct
HBO is developing a biopic about D.C. Council member and former Mayor Marion Barry. Spike Lee seems a perfect choice to helm the project, but is Eddie Murphy right to star?
Councilmember Marion Barry has made his share of headlines during his 30-plus years in D.C. politics. Now they will come to life for a second time in an HBO film.
Slated to play to so-called mayor-for-life – comedic legend Eddie Murphy.
The film, which is still untitled, will be directed by Spike Lee and written by John Ridley. All three will serve as executive producers.
HBO has not commented, but it’s not the first time the network has tried to make a film based on Barry’s life. Filming was reportedly supposed to begin in 2002 on a biopic starring Jamie Foxx and written by Chris Rock, but it never got off the ground.
HBO was part of a documentary on Barry released in 2009, titled "the Nine Lives of Marion Barry."
