Eddie Murphy may star as DC Mayor

Eddie Murphy has signed on to play former Washington Mayor Marion Barry in an HBO movie, a source close to the project told The Hollywood Reporter.


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Spike Lee is to direct the movie, as yet untitled, which is being written by John Ridley, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said Thursday.


Barry was mayor from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. He is currently a member of the Washington City Council.


Murphy made headlines last month when he backed out of plans to serve as host of February's 84th Academy Awards show.


The comedian's decision came a day after his "Tower Heist" director Brett Ratner resigned as the ceremony's producer, following criticism he received for making a homophobic remark during a public question and answer session for the big-screen comedy.


Ratner later apologized for saying "rehearsal is for fags," but his critics still called for him to be ousted as Oscar producer.


Washington journalists Tom Sherwood and Harry Jaffe have optioned the rights for their 1994 book “Dream City: Race, Power and the Decline of Washington, D.C.” Sherwood said Friday that they have a separate contract with HBO to consult on a project if their book is adapted. Sherwood is a reporter for NBC’s Washington affiliate and previously worked for The Washington Post. Jaffe is an editor and writer for Washingtonian magazine.


Nearly 10 years ago, HBO also bought the rights to “Dream City” for a different project, but it was never produced.


In 1990, during Barry’s third term as mayor, he was videotaped smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room during an FBI sting operation, an episode that drew worldwide attention. He eventually served six months in federal prison on a misdemeanor drug possession conviction and was elected again to the D.C. Council in 1992. Barry won a fourth term as mayor in 1994. He returned to the Council in 2004 and continues to represent one of the city’s poorest wards.