Wesley Snipes & more join Eddie Murphy for Dolemite is My Name!

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Eddie Murphy has been taking it easy by stepping out of the spotlight a bit, but now he’s coming back for some notable projects, including Netflix’s recently announced biopic DOLEMITE IS MY NAME!. The movie about Rudy Ray Moore has now added some more names to the cast, including Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, Mike Epps, Titus Burgess and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

THR got the scoop that the lineup will join Murphy in the film that focuses on Moore, a famous comedian and musician who after achieving great success with his comedy albums in the 70s funded the blaxploitation movie, DOLEMITE. Snipes will be playing D'Urville Martin, the actor who directed DOLEMITE and starred as the movie’s villain, Willie Green.

The movie is intended for a 2019 release and is being directed by Craig Brewer (HUSTLE AND FLOW) with a script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (ED WOOD, THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON). The movie will begin shooting next week in sunny Los Angeles.

Moore remains an influential figure of the underground comedy scene in the 60s and 70s, using music such as jazz and R&B to develop an act that depicted “pimps, prostitutes, players and hustlers,” with Moore incorporating the character of Dolemite as an alter ego into his act (first featured on his album “Eat Out More Often”). He transitioned the style he used in his act into the movie DOLEMITE, which tells the story of a pimp who is broken out of jail to take out his rival Willie Green.

Between Murphy and Snipes alone this is a great lineup, and then we got Robinson, Epps and more to make everything even better. This just shows how committed Netflix is to generating their own content with big names attached. Certainly, the movie is generating some heavy interest now, because who in the world isn't down for some Murphy/Snipes greatness?