‘Coming To America’ Sequel: A ‘Power’ Star Joins The Cast
Details on the forthcoming Coming to America sequel have been sparse since the news was officially announced in late 2017. Now, with several months passing since then, more concrete developments have been revealed, including confirmed new and old castings, its all-new plot, title and more.
To fill you in on all things Coming to America 2, we've compiled a brief list of everything we know thus far:
Fresh Plot and Title
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the sequel to the popular 1988 comedy will be titled Coming 2 America and will feature an all-new story involving new characters and several of those from the original.
This film will follow Prince Akeem returning to America in a quest to find his long-lost son, who will be the heir to the throne of Zamunda. With this as a major driving force for the movie, a few additions have been made to the cast.
Casting Confirmations
The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed that KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) has joined the cast, playing Akeem's daughter, who is "burdened with feeling like she is the son her father never had." Comedian Jermaine Fowler has also joined the cast, playing Akeem's son.
Hollywood legend Wesley Snipes has also joined the cast of the highly anticipated sequel. He will play a new character, General Izzi, who is described as the ruler of a neighboring nation to Prince Akeem's home of Zamunda. Comedians Tracy Morgan and Leslie Jones, and actor/singer Rotimi have also joined the cast, however, the details of their roles remain a mystery for the time being. Singer Teyana Taylor has also been cast in the film and will reportedly be playing the daughter of Wesley Snipes' character.
As for returning cast members of the original film, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos and Eddie Murphy are confirmed to reprise their roles as Semmi, King Jaffe Joffer, Cleo McDowell and Prince Akeem, respectively. Shari Headley and Vanessa Bell Calloway, who played Lisa McDowell and Iman Izzi, respectively, will also be reviving their roles.
Oscar-winning Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Is On Board
The costumes in the sequel are sure to be on point as it has been confirmed that Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter — who won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 2019 for her work on Black Panther — has joined the team.
In fact, she posted a photo back in April of her and Eddie Murphy holding her golden statue. Its caption: "Preliminary fitting for Coming to America 2."
'Black-Ish' Creator Kenya Barris To Write And Executive Produce
Several outlets have further confirmed that Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has penned the script for the sequel, with Hustle & Flow filmmaker Craig Brewer set to direct.
THP also revealed that Barris will executive produce the film while Murphy and Kevin Misher are confirmed to produce.
Release Date
Lastly, Paramount announced that Coming 2 America is slated to hit theaters on August 7, 2020.
Are you are as stoked as we are for this release?
