Eddie Murphy has a three-picture and first-look agreement with Amazon Studios, which he hopes will help him dominate the streaming world as well as the box office in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Deadline reports that the comedic legend is gearing up to begin production on the first picture under that contract, the holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane, in which he will serve as both producer and star. The team for Candy Cane Lane includes some of the most well-known actors and directors in the business. Boomerang director Reginald Hudlin will direct Murphy’s new comedy, which will reunite him with Brian Grazer and the two men who worked on his 1992 rom-com success Boomerang. The Nutty Professor (1996), Bow Finger (1999), Life (1999), and Tower Heist (2001) are among previous Murphy/Grazer collaborations (2011).
The narrative of Candy Cane Lane is being kept under wraps by Amazon Studios, but it has been announced that Kelly Younger will write the script, drawing inspiration from his own Christmas memories as a youngster. As a Disney legend, Younger has a reputation as a superb storyteller. Moana, Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto are just a few of the projects he has worked on. By releasing Dolemite Is My Name and Coming 2 America on Netflix, Eddie Murphy has already shown that he can reproduce his box office success on streaming services. In the wake of the COVID outbreak, the sequel to the 1988 hit – Coming to America, surged through remarkable streaming figures after moving from Paramount to Prime Video at the time.
As a result, it was the most streamed title for Prime Video’s first weekend and for the whole year of 2101. Executives at Amazon are certain that Candy Cane Lane will be just as successful. “Eddie is someone who pulls global audiences together, and we can’t wait to make it happen again,” Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke said. With Hudlin on board as director, Salke said, “We look forward to watching the multi-talented Reggie Hudlin take the helm in this upcoming Christmas classic to life!” Similarly, Hudlin tells Deadline, “The holiday season is my favourite time of year—just ask my family about my nine-hour Christmas playlist.
To collaborate with Eddie Murphy, Brian Grazer, and Amazon again is a great honour. Along with Amazon Studios and Imagine Entertainment, Eddie Murphy will produce under his Eddie Murphy Productions banner. Candy Cane Lane will debut exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries on an undetermined date. The start of filming in Los Angeles is tentatively scheduled for later this winter. Netflix’s You People, which also stars Jonah Hill and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is another movie that Murphy is now developing for online distribution.