Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America sequel now has an official release date.
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Coming to America 2 now has a release date of August 7, 2020, as reported by Variety. That will position it against a new Warner Bros. film, which has also claimed the same date.
The long-awaited Coming to America sequel will be directed Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer. He’ll be working from a script by Black-ish creator and Girls Trip writer, Kenya Barris, who is re-writing a previous draft by original Coming to America writers, Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield.
Here’s what Eddie Murphy has said about the upcoming sequel film:
“After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward. 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.”
Kenya Barris added the following:
“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. 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.”
It’s speculated that Coming to America 2 is finally heading into production as a means for Paramount Pictures to get a big tax credit from the California Film Commission. Whatever the case may be, fan who have waited decades to revisit the world of Prince Akeem of Zamunda (Murphy), and his hilarious fish-out-of-water antics, after being dropped into American urban culture.
The exact plot details of “Coming 2 America” are being kept under wraps, but it’s not as though Murphy and Co. don’t have plenty of material to work with. American culture has changed pretty drastically since 1988, with there now being plenty for a outsider looking in to observe – and thoroughly mock. Thanks to Black Panther, the notion of African and/or African-American cultural wealth and nobility has also become a very real part of the Zeitgeist; which pretty much makes it an equal candidate for both insight and mockery, as only a master like Eddie Murphy can provide.
Here’s the synopsis for the original film, if you’ve never seen it (also: see it):
“Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy’s regal father (James Earl Jones) agrees to allow the prince 40 days to roam the U.S., sending the prince’s faithful retainer Semmi (Arsenio Hall) along to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, Prince Akeem conceals his true identity and gets a “Joe job” at a fast-food restaurant.”
Coming 2 America will hit theaters on August 7, 2020.
