It's happening. The long-awaited Coming to America sequel is finally moving forward. And Eddie Murphy has signed on to star.
The 57-year-old comedian confirmed the news Friday, more than 30 years after the original comedy film hit theaters. The Paramount project will be directed by Craig Brewer, who helmed Hustle & Flow as well as the upcoming Netflix movie My Name Is Dolemite, starring Murphy and Wesley Snipes.
"After many years of anticipation, I'm thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward,” Murphy said in a statement. "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."
According to Deadline, Murphy will reprise his role as African Prince Akeem, who traveled to Queens three decades ago in search of his, well, queen. The sequel will reportedly follow Akeem as he returns to NYC in search of his long-lost son. It's unclear if other original cast members—such as Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, and John Amos—will appear in the second installment.
Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has signed on to pen the sequel's script.
"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," Barris said. "[...] He never fails to blow me away. He is a true auteur and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on board."
Paramount has not announced when shooting is scheduled to begin. We'll be sure to keep you posted as more details about the film become available.
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