Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall reunite in first look at the comedy sequel

It’s been thirty-two years since Coming To America debuted in theaters. 

And eager fans finally get their first look at the forthcoming sequel, in new images released by Amazon Studios on Thursday.

Coming 2 America arrives March 5, 2021 on Amazon Prime Video. 

The images show a still youthful-looking Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in character as the returning Prince Akeem and his trusty friend Semmi respectively. 

Also seen are James Earl Jones, reprising his role as Jaffe Joffer, and the ageless Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell.

Also returning is RHOBH cast member Garcelle Beauvais, playing Rose.

And in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on Thursday, director Craig Brewer talked about dealing with fan expectations while making the sequel.

‘The conversations that Eddie and I were having was just about, where does Coming To America sit in people’s hearts? Because it’s not just a movie, it’s a cultural touchstone for a lot of people.’

‘You’re going to get everyone’s opinions towards what it is, but we needed to get down to the essence of what’s going to bring people into this movie.’

‘It’s such a nostalgia celebration, especially for people our age.’ 

The movie is a sequel to the 1988 romantic comedy Coming to America, which was directed by John Landis and also starred Murphy, who came up with the story.

The production was a smash hit, grossing $350 million worldwide on a budget of $36 million.

The upcoming film will follow the soon-to-be-crowned Prince Akeem and his trusted aide Semmi as they return to New York City in search of a son, played by Jermaine Fowler, that the prince was previously unaware of.

Alongside the Beverly Hills Cop actor, the sequel will feature Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, and John Amos in costarring roles, all of whom appeared in the original film.

Added to the cast of the sequel are Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Morgan Freeman, among others. 

The script will be written by former Saturday Night Live writers David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein along with Black-ish creator Kenya Davis.

After the success of the initial film, a TV pilot was produced but was not picked up as a show; it ultimately aired in 1989 as part of the CBS Summer Playhouse pilot anthology series.