Originally posted Tuesday, June 4, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
One of the most beloved comedies from the 1980s “Coming to America” is finally getting a sequel three decades later and it will soon begin production in metro Atlanta.
The Paramount film is expected to shoot in multiple locations but a good portion will be in Georgia. It is going to be dubbed “Coming 2 America.”
Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall will reunite as Prince Akeem and his friend Semmi, respectively. In the original film, Akeem, a pampered prince of a fictional African country Zamunda, came to the United States to learn how to be a "regular" person while seeking a romantic partner who saw him for himself, not as royalty.
Others expected to rejoin the cast are Shari Headley as Akeem's love interest Lisa McDowell, John Amos as her dad Cleo McDowell and James Earl Jones as King Jaffe, Akeem's dad.
In the sequel, Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in America and must return to the U.S. to meet the unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda.
The original film, during the pinnacle of Murphy’s film career, grossed $128 million in 1988 in the United States, the third biggest movie of the year behind only “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Rain Man.” It still airs regularly on basic cable and has established plenty of memes and catch phrases (“Sexual chocolate!” “Bark like a dog!” “Let your Soul Glow!”). Plus, there’s an awesome early Samuel L. Jackson moment.
Murphy hasn’t been all that active lately in terms of acting. In the past decade, he has appeared in just a handful of films such as “Mr. Church” and “Tower Heist.”
And mark your calendar. “Coming 2 America” is scheduled to hit theaters August 7, 2020.
Atlanta has been home to many many sequels from “Dumb and Dumber To” to “Pitch Perfect 3” to “Neighbors 2.”
