Its storyline was something out of an ancient, lily-white operetta: A prince from a fictional faraway land sidesteps an arranged marriage by seeking, and finding, a true love match in the borough of Queens, N.Y., USA.Īkeem and his Queens-bred queen-to-be, Lisa (Shari Headley)live in harmony with their three daughters (KiKi Layne, Eddie’s daughter Bella Murphy and Akiley Love). In 1988, at the peak of Murphy’s superstardom, “Coming to America” allowed the “Saturday Night Live” and “Beverly Hills Cop” alum to lean into a relatively conventional but - for Hollywood - rare Black showcase of commercial romantic comedy. No longer a grinning naif, Murphy’s prince has mellowed, if not receded, into a new role: royal straight man for his costars. For those who don’t know their mythical African geography, Nextdoria is the neighboring country to the better-known Zamunda, ruled by the dying King Jaffe Joffer (cameo by James Earl Jones) and soon to be turned over to our old friend Prince Akeem, portrayed by Eddie Murphy. An ailing King Joffer reveals the shocking news that Akeem actually has a long-lost son named Lavelle, who is living in Queens.The 33-years-later sequel “Coming 2 America” starts poorly but gets funnier and more likable as it goes, and it’s stolen by a newcomer to this particular nostalgia tour: Wesley Snipes, fopping it up as the military dictator of Nextdoria. He’s now preparing to take over Zamunda as King Akeem. When Coming 2 America begins, Akeem is no longer just a young prince. Blaustein, who wrote the Coming to America screenplay, teamed up with black-ish creator Kenya Barris to write the sequel. He recently worked with Eddie on the 2019 film Dolemite Is My Name. Jermaine Fowler and Leslie Jones in ‘Coming 2 America.’ (Amazon Studios)Ĭraig Brewer is the director of Coming 2 America. Eddie’s daughter, Bella Murphy, stars as Omma. They’ll be joined by Jermaine Fowler as Lavelle, Wesley Snipes as General Izzi, Leslie Jones as Mary Junson, Tracy Morgan as Uncle Reem, Rotimi as Idi Izzi, KiKi Layne as Meeka, Nomzamo Mbatha as Mirembe, and Teyana Taylor as Bopoto. Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy in ‘Coming 2 America.’ (Amazon Studios) Madge Sinclair, who played Queen Aoleon Joffer, died in 1995. Additional stars from the first movie returning for the sequel are Shari Headley as Queen Lisa, James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer, John Amos as Cleo McDowell, Louie Anderson as Maurice, and Garcelle Beauvais. Old & New FacesĮddie Murphy is back as the newly-crowned King Akeem, along with Arsenio Hall, who plays Akeem’s right-hand man, Semmi. The sequel will launch worldwide in over 240 countries and territories on Amazon Prime Video. In November 2020 and amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon Studios officially announced they had acquired worldwide rights to the film from Paramount Pictures. The movie was initially scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures on August 7, 2020, but was pushed back to December 2020. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you will be able to watch the sequel free of charge starting March 5. The film will not be released in theaters. ‘Coming 2 America’ Release DateĬoming 2 America will be released March 5, 2021, on Amazon Prime Video. The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1989: Best Costume Design and Best Makeup. When Akeem lifts the veil on his bride at the wedding, the bride is Lisa. However, Akeem and Lisa do end up together in the end. Akeem is in love with her and even offers to abdicate, but Lisa refuses to marry him.Ī devastated Prince Akeem agrees to an arranged marriage and goes back to Zamunda. When Lisa finds out that Akeem is actually a prince, she’s shocked and confused at first. Initially, Akeem keeps his royal identity a secret from Lisa. Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in the first ‘Coming to America.’ (Everett Collection)Īkeem and Semmi begin working at McDowell’s, the local fast-food restaurant owned by Lisa’s father, Cleo. Akeem crosses paths with the beautiful Lisa McDowell, who is everything Akeem has been looking for. Upon arrival, they begin to search for Akeem’s future bride. Prince Akeem decides to take the adventure of a lifetime with his best friend Semmi and go to Queens, New York, and rent out a place. The film centered around Prince Akeem, an African prince who seeks to find a bride after his parents present him with an arranged marriage. Coming to America was released on June 29, 1988.
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