John Landis on Eddie Murphy: 'I Don't Know If He's Interested in Being Really Funny Anymore'

With credits that include, 'Animal House,' 'Blues Brothers,' 'Three Amigos,' 'Trading Places' and 'Coming to America,' it's not too much of a stretch to call director John Landis a comedic genius. On top of that, Landis has been given -- thanks to those last two films on the list -- a unique insight into the mind of Eddie Murphy. This information is particularly useful now, considering Murphy has been in the news recently, as you may have noticed. (He's funny again in 'Tower Heist'! He's going to host the Oscars! He's not going to host the Oscars! He's not funny anymore in 'A Thousand Words'!) Since the mid-'90s, Murphy has faced criticism regarding his choice of roles. Landis recently spoke to the NY Times about his career as a filmmaker and his thoughts on Murphy. When I made 'Trading Places,' Eddie was 19 or 20 and bouncing off the wall with talent and was a very happy guy. When I made 'Coming to America,' it was a few years later, Eddie had become an international star and was not as happy. It was awkward on that film because he was kind of a jerk, and we had a real falling out. But still we worked together very well... Eddie's really funny in this movie. He can be really funny when he wants to be. I don't know if he's interested in being really funny anymore, honestly. Ouch. Unfortunately, Landis is not alone in this. Although some of Murphy's recent films -- 'Norbit,' 'Daddy Day Care' -- made money, they've been panned by critics, who clamor for the return of the "old Murphy." Here's an idea: an Eddie Muprhy/John Landis reunion! Although, if history tells us anything about Eddie, he may not like that pitch, especially after reading the Landis comments. You can check out the entire John Landis interview, where he discusses 'An American Werewolf in London' and Jheri curl jokes, over on NYT. [via NYT] [Photo: Getty Images] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook