Arsenio Hall Officially Returning For Coming To America 2

Fans of the original Coming to America comedy classic can rest easy, as Deadline confirmed on Friday that Aresenio Hall will officially return as Semmi alongside Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem in the upcoming Coming to America 2.

Hall, whose last film role came back in the 2009 film Black Dynamite, will reprise role of Murphy’s trusted assistant and best friend as the pair travel from the fictional nation of Zamunda back to America once again after Murphy learns about a son that will be the new heir to his throne.

The original Coming to America was released in 1988 and followed Murphy’s Akeem as a wealthy African prince who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Akeem’s father (James Earl Jones, who has yet to be confirmed for the sequel) allows him 40 days to wander the country but sends along the Semmi (Arsenio Hall) as well. Hijinks ensue, with Akeem eventually finding his new bride in a Queens native named Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley).

Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) is slated to direct the film alongside Kenya Barris (Black-ish creator) as the screenplay write and executive producer. Murphy is also credited with a producing role.

The film was originally slated for an August 2020 release date, but in May it was announced that the film would be pushed back to December 2020.

Murphy released a statement on the film in 2018 after Brewer was officially announced as director.

“After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward,” Murphy said in a statement last year. “We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on Dolemite, and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.”

“Craig’s ability to create a distinct cinematic world with each of his films is not only impressive, but also what made him exactly the voice and vision we needed to bring this story to life,” added Barris. “From Hustle and Flow to his work with Eddie on Dolemite Is My Name, he never fails to blow me away. He is a true auteur and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on board.”

Along with Coming to America 2, Murphy is also working on a sequel to the 1988 buddy comedy Twins (titled Triplets) and a fourth installment in the Beverly Hills Cop series.