BackgridEddie Murphy and the cast and crew of his long-awaited sequel have finally returned to a set in America, and there’s photographic evidence to prove it.
It’s been 31 long, long years since Prince Akeem, played by Murphy, first graced the shores of the US in 1988’s cult classic comedy, Coming to America.
Take a trip down memory lane with the original trailer below:
Now, 58-year-old Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop, Dolemite Is My Name) has returned to the streets of Atlanta to shoot scenes for the sequel, aptly titled Coming 2 America. See what they did there?
It’s the first evidence of production, and while we’ve had cast confirmations for a while now, it’s great to see the gang back together.
The synopsis takes place years later, when Prince Akeem Joffer of the fictional nation of Zamunda is set to become King, succeeding his father King Jaffe, who is played by James Earl Jones.
BACKGRIDUpon discovering he has a son he never knew about in America – ‘a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle’ played by Jermaine Fowler – Akeem heads off to America once again, and in the process attempting to honour his royal father’s dying wish to groom Akeem’s son as the crown prince.
We don’t know much else, so fans will no doubt cherish the slow drip of information these new on-set images offer, as per TMZ.
In the new images we see Murphy as Akeem, standing proudly wearing a New York Mets bomber jacket and clutching a wad of cash, as a character of his stature is want to do.
BACKGRIDHe is accompanied on set by Arsenio Hall, who plays Semmi, his best friend and personal aide.
Paul Bates, who plays Oha, is also present. Pictured open-mouthed, we can only hope it’s a sign he’ll be gifting the silver screen with more of his unique vocal stylings.
In case you missed it, watch this. You won’t regret it:
The film also stars original cast members and some new to the family, including Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Shari Headley, John Amos, Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, and James Earl Jones.
Coming 2 America is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 18 2020.
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A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.