Eddie Murphy will once again play crown prince Akeem Joffer in a sequel to the 1988 hit movie “Coming to America.”
The film’s plot centered around a prince who travels to New York to find an independent woman who loves him in spite of his royal title. The sequel will have Prince Joffer returning to America after he finds out he has a long-lost son who is heir to his throne.
The screenplay will be written by Kenya Barish, creator of the ABC show “Black-ish.” Craig Brewer, who produced “Hustle and Flow,” has been selected to direct the film.
Murphy is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history in terms of box office. As of 2014, his films have grossed over $3.8 billion in the U.S. and over $6 billion worldwide. Murphy remains in the top 10 of highest-grossing actors in the U.S., a list that includes Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman.
Murphy has also starred in films that elevate the image of African Americans. “Coming to America” and “Boomerang” were examples of films that were before their time as they broke through stereotypes of African Americans in movies at the time. “Coming to America” (1988) featured an African prince and “Boomerang” (1992) explored the relationships of two professionals at an African-American-owned and -operated corporation.
“After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that ‘Coming to America 2’ is officially moving forward,” Murphy in a Jan. 11 statement. “We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on [the upcoming “Dolemite Is My Name”], and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.”
“Coming to America” featured an all-star cast that included Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Cuba Gooding Jr, John Amos and Eriq LaSalle. The film was directed by John Landis and made $288 million at the box office, becoming a cult classic over the past three decades.
Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on Twitter @LVBurke
