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Eddie Murphy, Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson in one film? We’re sat. The three stars come together for The Pickup, a high-stakes comedic action film that veers away from the typical heist movie formula. On Saturday, the cast and director Tim Story sat down with Scott Evans to talk all things The Pickup.

Davidson plays Travis Stolly, a rookie sidekick to Murphy’s character, Russell Pierce. What starts as a routine cash pickup quickly spirals when the pair is ambushed. Davidson’s character is charmingly naive and falls for the okeydoke when he meets Zoe, played by Palmer, who turns out to be leading the mission. “It is one of those fun early 2000s old school action comedy movies that moves fast and never gets dull,” Davidson said. “The story picks up from the jump. It is an hour and 40 minutes of fun. There is something in it for everyone to like.”

Director Tim Story had long hoped to work with Murphy, and this project finally made it happen. When he saw the cast lineup, he knew viewers were in for something special.
“It was like a dream come true,” Story said. “As millions have said, it is the pairing you did not know you needed so much. And then you add Keke, it is just a bag of riches.”
The chemistry between the cast is clear. Palmer had previously worked with Davidson during the pandemic, and this time she got to act alongside a legend. She said watching Murphy on set felt like a master class.

“Working on The Pickup helped prepare me for One of Them Days,” Palmer said. “I got to watch a master class of him continuously playing the truth. Every improvisation, every joke, the situation was the comedy, and he always knew how to add to it in just the right way.”
Murphy was drawn to the project by how quickly it came together and how naturally he connected with his role. The strength of the script was the icing on the cake.

“The script was solid. Usually, these things take years,” Murphy said. “But this one was 90 percent there.” Later in the conversation, Evans told Palmer her role in the diner reminded him of legends like Pam Grier and Whoopi Goldberg. Murphy chimed in with his picks, Gloria Hendry and Barbara McNair. “I just wanted to play who I thought this character was,” Palmer said. “She is a villain, but she also has a reason. In my mind, she is a bit of an antihero.”

The cast fell in love with their roles, and it shows. If you are into comedy with tension and twists, The Pickup might be your new favorite. It premieres on Prime Video Aug. 6th