coming to america: Last News

Louie Anderson, who lost his battle with cancer at 68, played Maurice, the aspiring assistant manager of McDowell’s who enthusiastically worked his way up the ladder by learning the finer points of fast food.“Hey, I started out mopping the floor just like you guys,” Maurice told Prince Akeem and Semmi (played by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall). “But now . .

Eddie Murphy has been perfectly comfortable sitting under mountains of prosthetics and makeup to make himself transform into the various characters seen throughout his films for decades. Perhaps that trick has been used best in his two “Coming to America” films.

Coming To America arrived in theaters in 1988, the comedic fairytale skipped over wicked stepsisters and glass slippers to become a runaway hit and an important part of the Black film canon. Starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, and Shari Headley, the colorful characters in the movie introduced us to actors we’d be watching for decades as we followed the Prince of Zamunda on his quest to find love in Queens, New York. Tomorrow, many of those stars will be back on our screens as they reprise their original roles for the film’s sequel, Coming 2 America, streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall were dying to share the screen with him.When the two of them appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to promote the sequel, “Coming 2 America,” they revealed the real reason.“I love Louie, but I think we were forced to put Louie in it,” Hall, 65, told the host. “We were forced to put in a white person.”Murphy, 59, agreed: “[The studio was] like, ‘There has to be a white person in the movie.’ I was like, ‘What?’ So who was the funniest white guy around? We knew Louie was cool, so that’s how Louie got in the movie.”In case there are any doubts to the veracity of this tale, Hall referred to proof.

Without a doubt, “Coming 2 America” is one of the most anticipated comedy sequels of all time. For many, the 1989 original is up there as one of the best comedies ever produced, with so many quotable lines and legendary performances (particularly from its two leads, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall).

Coming 2 America sequel, Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, and Jermaine Fowler share one of our three March/April covers. But this isn’t the first time actors from the 1988 romantic comedy have graced the cover of ESSENCE.

Coming to America is set to release with a fresh twist on the royal journey of Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem.  Amazon Prime Video has released the Coming 2 America trailer featuring a bulk of the beloved cast from the 1988 installment and brand new comedic additions.The sneak peak features Akeem traveling back to Queens, where he once sought identity and romance, to find his long-lost son (Jermaine Fowler) and heir to the throne of Zamunda. With Arsenio Hall reprising his role as Akeem’s trusted confidante Semmi, the two return to the fictional African nation with Akeem’s first born for him to get acquainted with his wife Queen Lisa (Shari Headley), his three daughters and the royal kingdom.

a sequel to Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America is on its way via Amazon Studios. On December 22, the streaming service shared the first official trailer for the film and it’s absolutely hilarious.