Biplab Mazumder
John Landis’ comedy classic ‘Coming to America’ (1988) has been an immensely popular film of all time. This hilarious romantic comedy went on to become one of the most commercially successful films of 1988, and many of the film’s dialogues and references have become an inseparable part of pop culture today. The audience can never forget Eddie Murphy’s Randy Watson, the band ‘Sexual Chocolate’, and obviously, the famous mic drop!
So by now, ardent ‘Coming to America’ fans are well aware that a sequel is in the making. But there is one thing about comedies– sequels often fail to impress the audience, especially if the first film had been a grand one. Will ‘Coming 2 America’ be worth the hype? The good news is, the iconic Eddie Murphy is gonna take charge. Craig Brewer is on board as the director, with David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein and Kenya Barris writing the screenplay based on the story by Eddie Murphy.
Coming to America Recap
‘Coming 2 America’ would follow up from where the last film ended three decades ago, so let us give you a quick recap. ‘Coming to America’ is set in a fictional African nation called Zamunda, and chronicles the adventures undertaken by crown prince Akeem.
Akeem is sick and tired of his extravagant lifestyle. In the meantime, it is his twenty-first birthday, and his parents King Jaffe and Queen Aeoleon, bring an arranged bride-to-be as a present– because why bother finding a normal birthday gift! Now an already restless Akeem decides to take an action. He, along with his friend Semmi, sets out on a journey to the New York City borough of Queens, with an aim to find a woman for himself who loves him not because of his social status, but for who he really is as a person– we know, so typical of a romantic comedy!
The two of them start living in a dingy tenement under the guise of poor foreign exchange students. Incidentally, Akeem joins a money-raising rally, where he meets Lisa, a woman embodying all the qualities he is looking for in a woman. To further their relationship, Akeem and Semmi take up jobs at McDowell’s ( as you can guess, yes– it is modeled on McDonald’s), a fast-food chain owned by Cleo McDowell, Lisa’s father.
But the course of true love never did run smooth. Akeem’s advancements to win Lisa’s heart are interrupted by her boyfriend Darryl Jenks, whose father happens to be the owner of Soul Glo. Lisa becomes repulsed when Darryl abruptly announces their engagement without her consent, and she begins to date Akeem, who tells her that he belongs to a family of struggling goat herders. All throughout their stay at Queens, Akeem puts his best foot forward to live the life of a common man, but his personal aide Semmi grows tired of this poor man’s lifestyle. Semmi brings a jacuzzi and a few other luxurious furnishings to their apartment, and Lisa is shocked. Akeem confiscates all of his money and donates it to two homeless men.
In this situation, Semmi wires a telegraph to the King for sending in more money, which results in the arrival of the royals to Queens, leading to the disclosure of Akeem’s real identity. Lisa’s father, who did not like Akeem initially because of his lack of wealth, is now elated to learn that Akeem is a prince. Akeem and Lisa take shelter at McDowell’s when they come to know that his parents are in the United States. Lisa becomes angry that Akeem had hidden his real identity from her, and she refuses to hear any explanation. She even turns down his proposal for marriage. A dejected Akeem decides to surrender to the arranged marriage, but Aeoleon scolds the King for still holding on to dated traditions and not caring about their son’s happiness.
Then comes the lavish wedding scene, when Akeem is surprised to discover that the bride is none but Lisa herself. The newlywed travel in a carriage as the Zamundans keep on cheering. Lisa is astonished and touched at the same time when she realizes that Akeem was ready to give up all of his royal possession just to be with her. Again he offers to abdicate the throne, but Lisa playfully refuses.
Coming 2 America Plot: What is it About?
The upcoming film would be set after the events of the first film. The crown prince of Zamunda, Akeem is now ready to take charge as the King of the nation. At this crucial juncture in his life, he discovers that he has a son in America he never knew about, who happens to be a street-savvy Queens resident called Lavelle. He is broke and works at a fast-food joint. Someone like him is highly unlikely to become the heir to the throne of Zamunda. Anyway, on his thirtieth birthday, Lavelle decides that it’s time to make some use of his otherwise futile existence. On the other hand, at this very time, to fulfill his dying father’s last wish to groom his lost son and prepare him for taking up responsibilities of the throne, Akeem and Semmi once again venture out to America.
But interestingly, Akeem has another child back in Zamunda who is way more worthy of the throne, that is his older daughter Meeka. She is intelligent and is fit to advise her father on dealing with his biggest rival General Izzi. So when Akeem brings Lavelle to Zamunda to groom him as the crown prince, a conflict between him and Meeka is inevitable.
The first movie ended with Akeem and Lisa’s wedding, and in the sequel, we expect to see how their fairy-tale wedding turns out to be. Comedies end with a happy ending and do not really bother to show us what lies beyond the marriage. This sequel to ‘Coming to America’ seems to be an exception, as it is set to take us years after the wedding took place.
Since ‘Coming 2 America’ reveals the story of a new-found son of Akeem, the happiness of Lisa and Akeem’s married life stands at a questionable point. It is quite possible that Akeem had an affair with someone back in America, and the child belongs to that woman because if the child was of Lisa’s, there would be no reason to hide such huge news from Akeem. And if that is the case, then we are pretty sure Lisa won’t be too happy about this new entry into their lives.
The last film had been about hiding and eventually revealing Akeem’s identity, now the sequel is going to be all about Lavelle’s identity, and how he responds when he learns of his royal lineage. Now we are inevitably faced with these questions– who is this new guy Lavelle? Who is his mother? How does the royal family learn about him? To answer these queries, the introduction of a whole new set of characters is highly expected. However, not everything has been officially confirmed yet, but the new plot seems to be promising. It appears to be much more complicated than that of the first movie, and we really hope that the real essence of the comedy doesn’t get diluted within a convoluted plot.
Coming 2 America Cast: Who is in it?
Wondering who all are going to star in the new film? The original cast of ‘Coming to America’ is going to reprise their roles. Among them is Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem Joffer, Arsenio Hall as Semmi, James Earl Jones as Akeem’s father King Jaffe Joffer, Shari Headley as Lisa, and so on. Jermaine Fowler is to join the cast as Lavelle, along with the likes of Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, and others.
Coming 2 America Release Date: When will it Premiere?
In the year 2017, the makers hinted that a ‘Coming to America’ sequel might come out soon. Filming officially began in August this year. ‘Coming 2 America’ is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 18, 2020.
Read More: Upcoming Eddie Murphy Movies
