Well, it seemed to be a pretty sleepy Friday, all things considered, at least until Deadline decided to blow the bloody doors off with an last-minute announcement that will instantly cause a gut-shot reaction in people over the age of 30: Eddie Murphy is returning to one of his truly great roles: Prince Akeem, from John Landis’ Coming to America. They’re making a sequel, folks, but there’s some reason to have hope. For one, Hustle and Flow director Craig Brewer, who just wrapped a project with Murphy (a Rudy Ray Moore biopic entitled Dolemite Is My Name, which we can’t wait to see), is helming the film. Also, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris is rewriting the script, as it’s based on a draft by Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, the screenwriters of the original film.
Here’s what Deadline says about the plot and the rest of the cast:
“In the sequel, Akeem learns about a long lost son, and must return to America to meet his unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda. The intention is to bring back the original cast which includes Arsenio Hall, who played the prince’s aide Semmi, Shari Headley, who was courted by the prince when he went undercover as a fast food worker, John Amos, who played her father, and James Earl Jones, who played the king.”
And here are some perfunctory statements by Murphy and Barris about their involvement with the film:
“’After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that ‘Coming to America 2′ is officially moving forward,’ Murphy said in a statement. ‘We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on ‘Dolemite,’ and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.’
Said Kenya Barris: ‘Craig’s ability to create a distinct cinematic world with each of his films is not only impressive, but also what made him exactly the voice and vision we needed to bring this story to life. From ‘Hustle and Flow’ to his work with Eddie on ‘Dolemite Is My Name,’ he never fails to blow me away. He is a true auteur and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on board.'”
There’s no word yet on a release date, but the article says claims that the production is aiming for a 2019 start. Only time will tell if this is a good idea, but we’re always hoping for the best when it comes to Murphy. Who knows?
Featured image via MoviestillsDB.