Following the release of 'Raw', Eddie Murphy never taped another comedy special again.
The comedian-turned-actor then went on to star in the likes of 'Coming To America', 'Boomerang', and eventually more family-friendly fare like 'Mulan' and 'Shrek'. Since then, Murphy's career has gone through different stages, and has now largely retired from acting - despite starring in indie drama 'Mr. Church' in 2016.
However, rumours have persisted for years that Murphy is planning to return to standup comedy and it now appears as though it might finally be a reality. TMZ reports that Murphy is close to signing a deal worth $70 million, and will see him performing a standup comedy special since 1983's 'Delirious' and 1987's 'Raw'.
While the money might seem huge, it's roughly in the same range that Netflix has paid for previous comedy specials. For example, Netflix paid Dave Chappelle $60 million for three comedy specials, whilst Chris Rock scored a $40 million payday for two comedy specials.
Murphy has been open about his desire to return standup comedy, having recently appeared on 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee' where the topic came up in discussion with Jerry Seinfeld. "I'm gonna do it again, just everything has to be right. I gotta get up there, start working out, I have to go to the comedy clubs and start working out," said Murphy.
So far, neither Netflix nor Eddie Murphy have made any announcements.
