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Photos by David Livingston/Getty Images, Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic and Danielle Venturelli/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR

…the role is going to Eddie Murphy!

Photo by Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images

The actor will reportedly star in and produce the biopic about the late singer Rudy Ray Moore, a role he’s been wanting to star in for “a decade”.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Deadline reports, “Moore worked in a Hollywood record store in 1970 when he began hearing obscene stories of pimp and hustler named Dolemite. He started a club act where he became Dolemite. He then began generating records that mixed humor and a ghetto fantasy character, burnishing the legend. While too racy to be put on display in record stores, the records became a big inner city underground hit. The proceeds allowed Moore to finance the 1975 film Dolemite, which he starred in as a kung fu-capable pimp ghetto hero who stuck it to The Man. Moore followed with three sequels.”

The popularity of celebrity biopics continues to soar as fans will get to see Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, Jay Pharoah as Richard Pryor in Pam Grier‘s story about her life and although not confirmed, Andra Day possibly as Billie Holiday.

Production on Dolemite begins next week.

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