Coming to America (film series)

Coming to America reunited star Eddie Murphy with director John Landis. The two had previously worked together on the comedy hit Trading Places (1983). Landis recalled the differences in working with Murphy on the two movies: "The guy on Trading Places was young and full of energy and curious and funny and fresh and great. The guy on Coming to America was the pig of the world... But I still think he's wonderful in the movie."[1] Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy reprise their roles as Mortimer and Randolph Duke respectively from Trading Places.[2]

In January 2017, an announcement was publicized which addressed the impending production of a sequel to the original film, Coming to America. Kevin Misher was named as producer, and David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, the original screenwriters, were also attached to the project. However, a possible participation of lead actors Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall was left undefined.[3]

On January 11, 2019, it was announced that the sequel will be moving forward with Murphy reprising his role, and Craig Brewer as director (having previously worked with Murphy on the Netflix film Dolemite Is My Name).[4] Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley, John Amos, Paul Bates and James Earl Jones are expected to return for the sequel as well.[5]

Wesley Snipes signed on for a role in the film. Leslie Jones and rapper Rick Ross also joined the cast in an undisclosed role.[6][7][8] In August 2019, Nomzamo Mbatha, Garcelle Beauvais,[9] Jermaine Fowler,[10] Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Luenell, Rotimi, Teyana Taylor and Michael Blackson were added to the cast, alongside returning actors Louie Anderson and Vanessa Bell Calloway.[11][12]

The film was scheduled to be theatrically released on December 18, 2020,[13][14][15] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon Studios bought the distribution rights and will release it digitally on Prime Video on March 5, 2021.[16]

A television pilot of a weekly sitcom version of the film was produced for CBS, following the film's success, starring Tommy Davidson as Prince Tariq, and Paul Bates reprising his role as Oha. The pilot went unsold, but was televised on July 4, 1989 as part of the CBS Summer Playhouse pilot anthology series.[17][18]