Amazon Studios Land 7-Figure Package Deal For ‘The Pick Up;’ Includes Eddie Murphy Starring And Tim Story To Direct
L to R: Eddie Murphy, Tim Story
Amazon Studios is said to be in the final stages of negotiations to acquire ‘The Pick Up,’ a package that includes Eddie Murphy in the lead role and Tim Story as the director. John Davis and John Fox will produce the film under Davis Entertainment banner. Furthermore, Eddie Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster may produce the film under Eddie Murphy Productions, while Tim Story is set to be a producer too.
Based on a spec script by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider, the package has reportedly fetched seven figures in bids for the script, with three other companies in the running. Sources have described the project as a heist comedy similar to Bad Boys, with Murphy playing a man who becomes enamored with a woman and finds himself embroiled in a heist attempt.
The Pick Up marks a reunion between Eddie Murphy and John Davis, who have collaborated on five films together in the past, including the critically acclaimed Dolemite Is My Name. Murphy recently appeared in the Netflix comedy You People alongside Jonah Hill.
Tim Story, the film's director, is set to release his upcoming project, The Blackening, which Lionsgate acquired after its premiere in Toronto. The film is scheduled to release on June 16th, which also marks Juneteenth.
Murphy is represented by WME and Ziffrin Brittenham, while Story is represented by UTA and attorney Matt Johnson. Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider are represented by WME and Silver Lake Entertainment’s Yuli Masinovsky.
