Black-ish creator Kenya Barris to direct Richard Pryor documentary
Kenya Barris is gearing up to make his film directorial debut with a documentary about acclaimed comedian Richard Pryor.
The Black-ish and #BlackAF showrunner is set to write and produce the yet-to-be titled project, according to Variety.
It will reportedly look back over Pryor's entire career, from his stand-up beginnings and winning an Emmy award with Grace and Frankie's Lily Tomlin to fronting shows like The Richard Pryor Show and Pryor's Place.
Related: Black-ish is getting a third spin-off about Laurence Fishburne's character
"The way Pryor did what he did — with truth and specificity that was somehow self-aware and self-deprecating, and said with an unmatched level of vulnerability — that was the power and impact of his work," Barris said in a statement.
"Pryor had a voice that was distinctly his and, in many ways, comedy since then has been derivative of what he created. To me, this is a film about that voice, the journey that shaped it, and what it took for it to come to be."
"The NY Times has said of Richard Pryor, he was an 'iconoclastic standup comedian who transcended barriers of race and brought a biting, irreverent humor into America's living rooms, movie houses, clubs and concert halls.' We couldn't agree more," added MGM's Motion Picture Group chairman Michael De Luca and president Pamela Abdy.
"Along with our partners Kenya, Tory, Jennifer, and Adam, we are incredibly excited to share Richard's extraordinary life with audiences the world over."
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