Eddie Murphy has made a lot of sequels throughout his career, but will The Nutty Professor 3 ever join them? Following his breakthrough on Saturday Night Live, Eddie Murphy was poised for movie stardom. He proved this with 1982 thriller 48 Hours, where his fast-talking convict was paired with Nick Nolte's grizzled cop. He followed up with comedy classics Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop, and his ascent to the top of the A-list was complete.
Beginning with 1987's Beverly Hills Cop 2, Murphy is no stranger to returning to a character either. He reteamed with Nolte for 1990's Another 48 Hours, returned for 1995's Beverly Hills Cop III - which he later dubbed "atrocious" - and Dr. Doolitte 2; he also voiced Donkey in three sequels to Shrek. One of Murphy's biggest hits in the 1990s was The Nutty Professor, which was a remake of the Jerry Lewis comedy from 1963. Murphy played the titular character, an overweight professor who takes an experimental serum to lose weight and become hunky, but the effects only last a short time. He also turns into a raging egomaniac in his slimmed-down version.
The Nutty Professor became famous for the scene where Eddie Murphy plays almost all of the Klump family during a dinner scene, which featured some fantastic make-up effects. The movie grossed over $270 worldwide and Murphy later returned for a sequel in 2001. It's a successful duology but what are the chances of The Nutty Professor 3?
The Nutty Professor II Made Less Than The Original
While The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps didn't bomb, it wasn't a big hit either. It grossed over $166 million, which was significantly down from the original, especially when the larger budget is factored in. The sequel also received almost universally negative reviews, and there was a general sense audiences weren't clamoring for more from the Klump clan.
Murphy Worked On The Nutty Professor 3 In 2010
In 2010, Eddie Murphy revealed he was working on an idea for The Nutty Professor 3 that was being presented to the studio. He also stated that if it didn't happen, it was because the studio didn't find it funny; nothing else was heard about the sequel following this announcement.
The Nutty Professor 3 Probably Won't Happen
After taking a long break from movie projects, Eddie Murphy received praise for comeback Dolemite Is My Name on Netflix in 2019. He's returning for sequels Coming 2 America and Beverly Hills Cops IV, but at this point, The Nutty Professor 3 doesn't seem to be a consideration. The series belongs to a different era of studio comedy, and there doesn't seem to be any real audience demand for more.