Eddie Murphy will stop being funny for the upcoming feature film, Cook.
Eddie Murphy has not had a critically successful movie since, The Nutty Professor. Since then, Kevin Hart has taken his spot as the most popular on screen comedian. This may be the reason why Murphy will stop being funny for a new dramatic role.
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Eddie Murphy is replacing Samuel L. Jackson in the title role of Cook, a drama from Driving Miss Daisy director Bruce Beresford. The upcoming feature film was written by Californiacation writer Susan McMartin and is based on the true story of McMartin’s stepfather’s personal cook, who had an impact on her life.
“It’s a great screenplay,” [Producer Mark] Canton told Empire when we had cause to speak to him recently. “It’s a small story – a true story – of a family and a guy who comes into their lives. You have to come up with either really great big franchise driven movies or little character driven movies. Those are the two businesses to be in. I’m in both. You don’t like to be caught in the middle.”
“Everyone now wants to do what Matt McConaughey did, so we’re financing these movies when we think they’re put together the right way. This will be Eddie Murphy like you’ve never seen him. Of that I can assure you.”
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Here is what you can expect from the upcoming Cook movie, according to the screenwriter:
Herman saw me.
He saw me when it felt like no else did. He taught me to cook and to enjoy old movies. Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly, Bette Davis.
He always had a softcover book in his hand, a cigarette in his lips and jazz playing on the radio.
He played piano, painted, even sewed outfits for my dolls and stuffed animals.
I would sit in the kitchen with him and he talked to me like I was an equal. And when I fought with my mom when she drank, and raged at my stepfather when he behaved inappropriately… there was Herman. Looking at me. Understanding me. And always telling me,
You’re something special, my dear.
He eventually moved out to cook for people who could actually pay him. But on his days off he’d come home to us. To sleep. To read. To play piano. To cook. We were his family.
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Driving Miss Daisy boosted Morgan Freeman’s career to A-List status. Perhaps Cook can take Eddie Murphy’s career to Academy Award ranking. If not, millions of people would love to see Nutty Professor 3 co-starring Kevin Hart.
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