‘Coming 2 America’ is here to save the day: Check out first-look images
Coming 2 America is here to give us Prince Akeem & Semmi again, after thirty-two (good god!) years. Yes, Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall are back together for the sequel to 1988’s Coming to America, and the first visual hints are here to get us pumped for the release.
Coming 2 America takes place after the events of the now-classic Coming to America, which found its way into the hearts of film lovers and a solid place in the canon of fish-out-of-water comedies upon its release. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Maiden voyage
Coming to America tells the tale of Prince Akeem (Murphy) & his assistant Semmi (Hall), traveling to the U.S. from Africa against King Jaffee’s (the iconic James Earl Jones) wishes. Akeem is determined to find his “queen in Queens”, and the two take on an unforgettable search to find a suitor for Akeem who’s clueless of his wealthy stature.
The two meet Akeem’s most promising suitor Lisa, and they work at her father’s fast food joint in an attempt at the true American experience with the common folk of 1980s Long Island City. Before long, Lisa discovers Akeem’s lies, but she forgives him and the two come together in one of comedy’s happiest wedding endings.
The original is tied up in a nice little package by the end, and filmgoers wonder what’s in store for the (extremely) long-awaited sequel. Legendary Thriller music video director John Landis won’t be back behind the camera, but some old favorites & new stars will come to shine in Coming 2 America.
Familiar faces
Photos released today show some things in Coming 2 America won’t be too different from the original. The absolutely mind-melting youthfulness of Hall & Murphy (seriously, thirty years?!) in their royal Zamundan garb will be center-stage, as they reprise their roles.
Murphy is seen looking handsome in his crown, leading the fictional nation of Zamunda, but he also joins the cast looking quite different. As Murphy is known to do, he will transform into several characters in Coming 2 America, in barbershop sequences that mirror the original film.
James Earl Jones reunites with his chunky jeweled crown as King Jaffee, and he doesn’t look too shabby himself! Shari Headley & John Amos are also recast in their roles as Lisa & her father. Coming 2 America freshens up this line up with a slew of fresh faces.
Next generation
Rapper Rick Ross, SNL’s Leslie Jones, and 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan are confirmed for roles in the film. Furthermore, actors who were burgeoning stars at the time of the original film appear with Wesley Snipes & Louie Anderson on the roster.
Coming 2 America takes place after the first film in real time, so one wonders why Akeem would have to return to America again. Well, it’s discovered that Akeem fathered a child on his trip (uh oh!), and the royal son remains in the prince’s beloved borough to this day.
Akeem’s father has a final wish for this son to take the throne after Akeem is gone. That means it’s time for Akeem to stock up on Mets gear and head into NYC in the twenty-first century. With some help from Semmi, we can imagine they’ll find him, but only after a mess of mishaps.
Family fun
Director Craig Brewer, who worked with Murphy on Dolemite is My Name in 2019, tells EW the film is a family affair, despite raunchy jokes earning it an R-rating. He maintains the film to be good family fun that we need right now amidst the (ahem) difficulties of 2020.
If there was an award for least-aged actors in a sequel, Coming 2 America would win in a landslide. The sequel takes on much of the original cast, as well as fresh new faces, and audiences can’t wait to see what their favorite African prince will get up to in Queens this coming year.
Coming 2 America drops on March 5th, 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.
