Eddie Murphy’s Big Night Goes Global: Netflix Streams AFI Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony This May

Eddie Murphy is getting his flowers—and honestly, it’s about time. The American Film Institute is honoring the guy with their 51st AFI Life Achievement Award, meaning a big fancy event in LA next spring where everyone will talk about how legendary he is (which—let’s be real—he is).

Just to catch you up: Murphy’s comedy reign started on SNL—the man practically saved the show back in the early 80s. Besides iconic sketches like 'White Like Me', he had a bunch of other gems people forget. It didn’t take long before he jumped into movies, with '48 Hrs.' and then a run of undeniable classics. Since then? He’s basically kept one foot in comedy history and the other in 'what’s next?'

AFI Award—And Netflix Gets Involved

The AFI shindig is happening April 18, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood—so get ready for a star-studded night. But if you’re not getting an invite (spoiler: you’re not), you can just wait a bit. Netflix will be streaming the entire Tribute event on May 31. Yep, Netflix keeps doubling down on Murphy after already teaming up on 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F', 'You People', and 'Being Eddie'.

'AFI is grateful to Ted Sarandos and the talented team at Netflix for the opportunity to share this proud tradition with the world. And to do so in honor of Eddie Murphy will allow us to shine a proper light on the impact of art at a time the world needs it most.'

AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale had plenty more to say, too—like Murphy being 'the most commercially successful African-American actor in the history of the motion picture business' and ranking among the top five most bankable movie stars of all time. (Those numbers, by the way, are not wild exaggerations.)

What’s Next for Eddie?

• Inspector Clouseau: He’s about to play the iconic bumbling detective in a brand-new take on 'The Pink Panther'. This could be wild or just really weird, but at the very least it’ll get people talking.
• Zombie action comedy: Murphy’s developing a movie with zombies—which, sure, why not? No further details yet, but I’m expecting something at least odd.
• Attachment Parenting: Murphy's also reuniting with Eva Longoria (his co-star in 'The Pickup') for 'Attachment Parenting', a comedy being made for Amazon MGM Studios. Both Murphy and Longoria are producing, along with John Davis from Davis Entertainment, Murphy’s longtime collaborator Charisse Hewitt-Webster, and Jade Miranda, who runs Longoria’s Hyphenate banner.

So, What’s 'Attachment Parenting'?

If you’ve ever wanted to see Murphy and Longoria play a married couple of psychologists forced to counsel a crime boss’s dysfunctional family—while held hostage in a hotel (seriously, that’s the premise!)—stay tuned for this one. There’s no director or writer yet, but the script is based on a short story by Julianna Baggott, who’s written a pile of books across a bunch of genres.

To sum up: Eddie Murphy has made enough comedy history for three lifetimes, and he’s not slowing down. Whether it’s stealing a few big streaming premieres or dragging zombies and mobsters into his orbit, his next few years are looking as unpredictable as ever.