Eddie Murphy to return to stand-up comedy with $70 million Netflix deal

According to reports from TMZ, Eddie Murphy is reportedly set for a huge payday from Netflix who are eager to sign him to their comedy roster. The 58-year old actor is eager to return to his stand-up comedy roots and is negotiating a deal worth about $70 million (£56 million) for an undisclosed number of specials.

Such a large sum of money is in line with what other top-dollar comedians have been paid by the streaming giant in the past.

Dave Chapelle was paid $60million for three stand-up specials on Netflix while Chris Rock was paid $40million for two specials.

In 2016 Eddie revealed why he gave up stand-up to The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, saying he no longer found it ‘fun’. He explained:
'The reason it stopped being fun was it was harder to write – and this was before the internet – it was harder to write new stuff. It had gotten so crazy.

'After a while, the audience needs a break. And you need a break, too. You start taking each other for granted. I’m like, "I know what you all like!" And the audience is like, "Oh, yeah, I know what he’s gonna do!""