Lee Daniels to Direct ‘Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?’

Harvey Weinstein announced Thursday that Lee Daniels (Lee Daniels’ The Butler) has committed anew to direct The Weinstein Company’s new biopic on Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? is so named after Pryor’s 1975 Grammy-winning live album. Jay Z will produce.

Daniels had previously left the director’s chair when he was unable to fit the movie into his busy schedule and TWC announced in May that it was postponing the project. It is now back on track, with a projected production start date in early 2017.

Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) penned the screenplay. Mike Epps (Meet the Blacks) will star as Pryor. Kate Hudson (Deepwater Horizon) will play Pryor’s widow and Oprah Winfrey (Selma) will play Pryor’s grandmother. Eddie Murphy (Mr. Church) rounds out the cast.

Daniels previously teamed with The Weinstein Company on 2013’s successful Lee Daniels’ The Butler. Along with Danny Strong, he co-created Fox’s hit series Empire starring Terrence Howard (St. Vincent) and Taraji P. Henson (Think Like A Man Too).