Joining a cast that already includes Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes, Saturday Night Live and Ghostbusters alum Leslie Jones and If Beale Street Could Talk star Kiki Layne have joined the cast of the upcoming Coming To America sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Craig Brewer will direct the film, tentatively titled Coming 2 America, and the long-rumored sequel is expected to begin production this month for a 2020 release. Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones, who both appeared in the original Coming To America, will reprise their roles in the sequel as well. In the original film, Prince Akeem (Murphy) came to America to look for a wife.
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Per THR, Coming 2 America sees Akeem, now set to become king, discovering he has a son he never knew about, a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his father’s dying wish to groom his son as a new crowned prince, Akeem must return to America. Layne will apparently play Murphy’s daughter, while Jones’s role is being kept secret for now. Earlier today, THR reported that Snipes will reportedly play a new characters named General Izzi, ruler of the nation that neighbors Zamunda, the fictional African nation ruled by Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem.
Jones is set to appear in the upcoming Angry Birds Movie 2, while Layne will star opposite Charlize Theron in The Old Guard, an adaptation of the Greg Rucka/Leandro Fernández comic, whic his being set for release by Skydance and Netflix.
Eddie Murphy previously released a statement on Coming 2 America 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.”
Coming 2 America is expected in theaters on December 18, 2020.
