Eddie Murphy is enjoying a career resurgence of sorts. He’s starring in the Brett Ratner-directed film Tower Heist due in November and the Shrek star is slated to host the 2012 Academy Awards, which is expected to have nearly one billion viewers around the world. But now Murphy’s movie studio seems to be playing it safe with another one of his upcoming movies.

Paramount has pushed back the Murphy vehicle A Thousand Words from January 13th, 2012, to March 23 according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hearing this news brings to mind two scenarios: either the studio is trying capitalize on all the golden buzz from Murphy’s date with the Oscars on February 26 — Academy Award broadcast viewers around the globe could represent big box-office numbers. Or, Paramount doesn’t want another dud in the Daddy Day Care star's film arsenal to translate to buzz kill on Hollywood’s biggest night.

A Thousand Words tells the story of a man who discovers he only has 1000 words to speak before he dies. But the film has been shelved for a few years by Paramount — it actually completed production back in 2009. And the movie’s director, former '80s Head of the Class star Brian Robbins, also helmed the Murphy tankers Norbit and Meet Dave.

Industry insiders are saying this is the same kind of bad-timing movie déjà vu that befell Murphy when Norbit was released in theaters while the actor was campaigning for the best supporting actor Oscar for Dreamgirls, an award he later lost.

So, is A Thousand Words good enough to ride Oscar's coattails? Or is it that bad?

(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)