Eddie Murphy and Spike Lee end feud for Marion Barry biopic

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Eddie Murphy and Spike Lee are teaming up with HBO Films to do a biopic about the controversial former D.C. Mayor, Marion Barry.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lee is attached direct the film and John Ridley will write the script.

Murphy will play Marion Barry if the project moves forward.

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Barry currently serves as a D.C. City Council member, representing DC’s Ward 8. Barry came into the national spotlight in 1990, while serving as DC’s mayor, when he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine and was arrested by the FBI officials on drug charges. He subsequently served 6 months in prison, before being re-elected as mayor in 1994.

Murphy, Lee and Ridley are all said to serve as executive producers for the project.

Ironically, this will be the first time Murphy and Lee have collaborated on a film.

Lee has been quite critical of Murphy’s work in the past.

In 1999 when the Coming to America star debuted his claymation sitcom The PJs, Lee criticized the executive producer for misrepresenting black Americans, ‘’I kind of scratch my head why Eddie Murphy’s doing this, because it shows no love for black people,” Lee said.

Lee has also criticized Murphy and many other ‘Hollywood Negroes’ for not using their box office appeal to convince studios to hire more African-Americans behind the cameras.

According the the Washington Post this is not the first time HBO has considered making the Barry biopic. In 2002, filming was reportedly due to start on a movie starring Jamie Foxx and written by Chris Rock that somehow never happened.

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