That Coming to America sequel has a director, is finally actually happening
Aux Features Coming to AmericaEddie Murphy is teaming up with director Craig Brewer for Paramount’s sequel to Coming To America, in which Murphy will reprise his role as prince Akeem of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, as Deadline reports. The 1988 original, which focused on Prince Akeem’s adventures in New York City in search of a wife, features a star-studded cast, quotable moments, and undertones of women’s empowerment, all of which have helped make it a certified comedy classic.
Kenya Barris, creator of ABC’s Black-ish, has signed on to executive produce the film; he was hired to rewrite a sequel draft from original screenwriters Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield last fall. According to Deadline, the sequel sees Akeem returning to the States after learning about his long-lost son—and heir to the throne of Zamunda.
Barris, along with co-producers Murphy and Kevin Misher, is reportedly planning to bring back the original cast, with a goal to begin production in 2019. According to Deadline, returning cast members will include James Earl Jones as Zamundan king Jaffe Joffer; Arsenio Hall as the prince’s right-hand man, Semmi; Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell, the love interest who Akeem courts in the original film; and John Amos as her father, owner of fast-food joint McDowell’s (not to be confused with the inferior McDonald’s).
Brewer just finished directing Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore alongside Chris Rock, Keegan- Michael Key, and Wesley Snipes in the biopic Dolemite Is My Name, coming to Netflix this year. Hopefully, Brewer’s vision will have our souls glowing as beautifully as director John Landis did in the OG.
59 Comments
I think they need to stop and think about whether this is a good idea.
They know it isn’t but they’re hoping nostalgia will finally give Murphy a hit again.After this will be “Boomerang 2″, which will have Murphy macking at the retirement village.
Has Eddie Murphy had a good comedic idea in 20 years?
He was in Bowfinger, but that wasn’t his idea. And Dreamgirls wasn’t a comedy.You know, it’s a shame. Adam Sandler has had a few chances to see what he can do in more dramatic roles like Funny People and Punch-Drunk Love, Ben Stiller has had a few chances like that, but nobody’s given Eddie quite that kind of starring role. Maybe he missed his chance.
Either that…or Eddie preferred to cash in on extant goodwill with dross like Norbit, rather than taking the emotional and financial risk of actually trying to do something interesting.
I think as great as Coming to America was, I think it lulled him into this idea that, if he puts on layers of makeup and plays all these different characters, anything can be funny.
I think, Sandler is shameless, and Eddie Murphy is not. He had a few personal and professional embarrassments – a few times with his ass in the wind – and maybe he just withdrew into himself…. i know i would. And maybe while in there, he became a different person, one who used to be famous, one who used to be great on stage. Maybe he became a man, and got spooked, and said “…..but i can keep these twenty million, just spend a bit slow? …AND Shrek residuals? Yayaya.”
Say what you will about Bowfinger, but I will always love it for giving the world Chubby Rain.
There’s people out there who don’t like Bowfinger?
I liked Meet Dave. Watched it twice.
Oh put a sock in it!
They should probably put a famous movie star in it, if they want to get any butts in those seats.
It’s a terrible idea.
I started off with a hit flick like you guys,and now see I’m writing sequels , then In two years I’ll reboot the flick and THAT’s when the BIG BUCKs start rolling in.
Someone was recently put in charge of garbage I see…
I hope Louie Anderson finally got promoted to assistant manager where the big bucks start rolling in.-d
I have my concerns about his ability to progress beyond the fry cook level. He can’t have been good for yields.
He runs a rodeo now!
*SHE!
How many people has Brewer killed?
OH MY GOODNESS!
I hope there are Wakandan assassins. They’ve long hated Zamunda.
Zamunda discovers it’s sitting on a huge adamantium reserve, and tensions with Wakanda rise when they become a major supplier of the X-Men.
I’ma gonna HATE that metaphor movie
Soul Glo – is that still a thing?
We need a quick shot of Eriq LaSalle as a sad, almost entirely bald man* rocking the last bits of activated hair he’s got.*Recognizing that LaSalle’s real hair appears to be doing just fine.
(looks up a current photo). Damn.
Am I the only one who did not know he went to Juilliard?
Just let your SOOOOUUUL GLOOOOOOO!!!
Hopefully, Brewer’s vision will have our souls glowing as beautifully as director John Landis did in the OG. After the first movie came out, Eddie Murphy did an interview in which he was asked, “What was it like working with John Landis? Would you work with him again?”Murphy replied, “He has a better chance of working again with Vic Morrow.”
Damn. Back when Eddie had an edge.
And it took a true cinematic masterpiece to bring them back together: Beverly Hills Cop III.
now, how come THAT one never got a sequel
wow. Hadn’t heard that before. I wonder what happened with land. I just re-watched The Nutty Professor the other day. What a tour de force. He deserved the oscar for best cast.
I knew a guy who had a minor crew job on Blues Brothers 2000. He had nothing good to say about Landis.
The story goes like this: Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman was miffed at Murphy because he missed a fitting, and she went on a rant about the star, including some out-and-out racial slurs. Eddie overheard her and became Extremely Unhappy. He tried to get Nadoolman fired, but Landis refused—-she was, after all Landis’ wife. The studio backed the director, and supposedly Murphy and Landis completed the film without ever speaking directly to one another. People magazine reported on it, as did others.
wow. That’s fucked up.
Huh, OK. I’d always assumed that it was just Eddie’s ego–around that era, that would have been a very safe bet–but that puts an extra spin on it.
Let’s all celebrate by watching (listening) to the opening scene.Play it loud if you can. (after the stupid ad, I mean)
Yeah, but can Arsenio clear his busy, busy schedule?
Hey , dont knock Arsenio, he was the fourth best Real Ghostbusters voice actor (after Music, LaMarche and Welker), thats a career peak thats hard to top right there.
For the longest time, I thought Arsenio Hall was a place, not a person.
I think of him more as an abstract concept.
Same with Chevy Chase. Oh, actually that *is* a place in Maryland.
You’re thinking of Anthony Michael Hall in Dover, Delaware.
Eriq La Salle had better be included.
I don’t know if this is the *absolute best* or *absolute worst* timing to revive this particular movie. To make it current I assume there’s going to be a subplot involving a child dying in ICE custody in a desert concentration camp.
So Jaffe is still king 30 years later? There definitely needs to be a scene where Akeem and Prince Charles send each other “dad/mom still alive?” texts.
Does the Art Buchwald estate get paid for this?
I’m delighted to learn John Amos is still with us.
I was sure John Amos had passed, like Nathan Arizona.
But will the Jewish guy at the barber shop be back?
I admit I’m curious what Randy Watson is up to these days.
My headcanon is that Black Panther is a sequel to Coming to America.