Hollywood's Oddest Duo: Murphy and Davidson Team Up for 'The Pickup'

Olivia Bennett, 6/10/2025Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson collide in the heist comedy "The Pickup," premiering on Prime Video this August. With a wild plot featuring a $60 million casino heist and unexpected dark turns, this unlikely duo promises an intriguing mix of humor and suspense that could redefine comedy in 2025.

"The Pickup" — dropping on Prime Video this August — serves up Murphy's masterful character work alongside Davidson's chaotic millennial energy. The trailer landed last week, and honestly? It's giving exactly what you'd expect from this peculiar pairing, though perhaps not in the way anyone anticipated.

Think of it as "Inside Man" crashing headfirst into "Rush Hour," but make it weird. Really weird. Murphy plays Russell, a by-the-book armored truck driver, while Davidson embodies Travis, his disheveled partner who probably showed up to work in yesterday's clothes. Their routine cash pickup spirals into a $60 million casino heist scheme, masterminded by Keke Palmer's Zoe — serving serious femme fatale energy that's honestly refreshing to see in 2025's somewhat stale action-comedy landscape.

The chemistry between Murphy and Davidson isn't just PR spin, either. During a Jennifer Hudson Show appearance (remember when she took over that 4 p.m. slot?), Murphy actually gushed about Davidson's SNL work. "I thought he was funny," Murphy said, in that characteristic laid-back drawl of his. "I watch the show all the time, Saturday Night Live, and I always thought he was funny, absolutely."

Tim Story's directing this whole circus — yeah, the same guy who gave us "The Blackening" and "Barbershop." He's assembled quite the ensemble, too. Eva Longoria's in there somewhere, WWE's Roman Reigns is flexing his acting muscles, and Andrew Dice Clay... well, he's being Andrew Dice Clay.

There's this moment in the trailer — god, it's almost too perfect — where Davidson tries negotiating their freedom by offering up his fictional twin sister. "She's like me, but with long hair," he deadpans, while Murphy's face does that thing it does when he's contemplating whether to laugh or cry. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does?

Amazon's really throwing their weight behind this one. Smart move, considering how streaming numbers have been looking lately (especially after that whole password-sharing crackdown mess last fall). Combining Murphy's established draw with Davidson's Gen Z appeal? That's the kind of algorithmic catnip that keeps streaming executives employed.

The film takes some surprisingly dark turns, though. Palmer's character threatens Murphy with a chilling "If you don't help me, your wife's dead" — delivered with the kind of intensity that makes you wonder if someone forgot to tell her this was supposed to be a comedy.

Mark those calendars for August 6th. "The Pickup" could end up being either 2025's sleeper hit or its most memorable misfire. Either way, it's bound to be more interesting than half the AI-generated content flooding theaters these days.

Hollywood's latest odd-couple pairing feels like a fever dream that somehow made it through multiple studio meetings. Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson? In a heist comedy? Well, darlings, stranger things have happened in Tinseltown's ever-spinning roulette wheel of casting decisions."The Pickup" — dropping on Prime Video this August — serves up Murphy's masterful character work alongside Davidson's chaotic millennial energy. The trailer landed last week, and honestly? It's giving exactly what you'd expect from this peculiar pairing, though perhaps not in the way anyone anticipated.Think of it as "Inside Man" crashing headfirst into "Rush Hour," but make it weird. Really weird. Murphy plays Russell, a by-the-book armored truck driver, while Davidson embodies Travis, his disheveled partner who probably showed up to work in yesterday's clothes. Their routine cash pickup spirals into a $60 million casino heist scheme, masterminded by Keke Palmer's Zoe — serving serious femme fatale energy that's honestly refreshing to see in 2025's somewhat stale action-comedy landscape.The chemistry between Murphy and Davidson isn't just PR spin, either. During a Jennifer Hudson Show appearance (remember when she took over that 4 p.m. slot?), Murphy actually gushed about Davidson's SNL work. "I thought he was funny," Murphy said, in that characteristic laid-back drawl of his. "I watch the show all the time, Saturday Night Live, and I always thought he was funny, absolutely."Tim Story's directing this whole circus — yeah, the same guy who gave us "The Blackening" and "Barbershop." He's assembled quite the ensemble, too. Eva Longoria's in there somewhere, WWE's Roman Reigns is flexing his acting muscles, and Andrew Dice Clay... well, he's being Andrew Dice Clay.There's this moment in the trailer — god, it's almost too perfect — where Davidson tries negotiating their freedom by offering up his fictional twin sister. "She's like me, but with long hair," he deadpans, while Murphy's face does that thing it does when he's contemplating whether to laugh or cry. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does?Amazon's really throwing their weight behind this one. Smart move, considering how streaming numbers have been looking lately (especially after that whole password-sharing crackdown mess last fall). Combining Murphy's established draw with Davidson's Gen Z appeal? That's the kind of algorithmic catnip that keeps streaming executives employed.The film takes some surprisingly dark turns, though. Palmer's character threatens Murphy with a chilling "If you don't help me, your wife's dead" — delivered with the kind of intensity that makes you wonder if someone forgot to tell her this was supposed to be a comedy.Mark those calendars for August 6th. "The Pickup" could end up being either 2025's sleeper hit or its most memorable misfire. Either way, it's bound to be more interesting than half the AI-generated content flooding theaters these days.