Kenya Barris recently sat down with Variety to talk about some of his new projects, which include his highly anticipated Richard Pryor biopic.
In 2020, Barris announced he was directing the biopic on one of the most influential comedians of all time, and while it remains in development, Barris did say it will be a 10-episode series.
“It’s a 10-part limited biographical series that takes a look from cradle to grave,” Barris said. “From his earliest upbringing — he grew up in a ho house, or a house of ill repute — and became, at one point, the biggest star in the world,” he told Variety Studio, which Audible presented at the Sundance Film Festival.
“It is my baby. I love it. He is my comedy god. A super flawed guy, but who everything, to this day, the comedy that we remember — even including [Dave] Chappelle — is derivative of what he started. That honest, reflecting, observational look at what the world is and the differences between us that actually make us more similar than we are apart. I think telling his story and letting people see things that they didn’t know about him is something that I’m super excited to bring to life,” he added.
And that’s not it. Barris is also in the process of remaking some hit classics but with a little bit of a spin on them. One being the Wizard of Oz. Barris said the script for the remake is done, and his version of Dorothy is a girl who lives in the Bottoms, a big apartment complex in Inglewood, Calif.
“The original ‘Wizard of Oz’ took place during the Great Depression, and it was about self-reliance and what people were going through,” Barris said. “I think this is the perfect time to switch the characters and talk about what someone imagines their life could be. It’s ultimately a hero’s journey, someone thinks something’s better than where they’re at, and they go and realize that where they’re at is where they should be. I want people to be proud and happy about where they’re from. But I want the world to take a look at it and I hope that will come through.”
As for his third project, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Barris is working with Paramount to reimage the story around a person of color. Barris said he feels the 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart is tailor-made for someone of color.
“I feel like Christmas movies are amazing and I think the idea of taking something that has that long of a history and a tale behind it and putting an amazing piece of talent to tell that story,” Barris said. “It’s a guy who’s trying to help out his community and things are going to turn around on him. I think that’s the perfect story to tell for a person of color — Black or brown — to get into that because our communities have some issues and someone trying to help that community out. I think that’s the perfect vehicle to tell that story from,” he told Variety Studio.
“I’m still a believer in IP. I think I get shit for it sometimes but I believe that the idea of some of those great stories – stories are all told again and again and again. So having the opportunity to take some of those IPs and tell them from a different point of a view is a gift that I hopefully keep getting.”
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