Fans of the hit 1988 comedy Coming to America can now see more of Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem and Arsenio Hall’s Semmi in first look photos from the sequel titled Coming 2 America.
Amazon Studios released eight images Thursday on Twitter, showcasing Murphy wearing full-on princely regalia. There are also pictures of Hall looking regal, and original cast members Shari Headley, Garcelle Beauvais and James Earl Jones making impressive returns.
The streaming service started a thread on Twitter with the caption: “Same but different. Enjoy these first look images of our original cast, reprising their roles in #Coming2America.”
Related Story: ‘Coming 2 America’ Gets 2021 Release Date on Amazon Prime Video
We've waited over thirty years for this. pic.twitter.com/moB9SKpWBc
— Amazon Studios (@AmazonStudios) December 17, 2020
“My favorite part of reuniting with the cast of Coming to America was making a movie that’s as good as the first one. Getting everybody together, including Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley, John Amos, James Earl Jones and the rest of my royal family, and making a really great movie,” Murphy said in a statement.
Paul Bates and Vanessa Bell Calloway will reprise their roles in the film as well.
The movie was originally supposed to be released in theaters this month by Paramount Pictures, but due to theaters being shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, the studio decided to sell the film to Amazon.
The sequel’s release date was first announced by Amazon Studios a few days before Thanksgiving, with the film set to begin streaming on March 5, 2021.
The new film follows Murphy’s Prince Akeem preparing to become king of the fictional Zamunda nation while he finds out he has a son in America he never knew about.
Hustle & Flow’s Craig Brewer directed the movie. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris was part of the screenwriting team, with Murphy and Fighting With My Family’s Kevin Misher serving as producers of the film.
