We hope you’re hungry for some McDowell’s, as Coming to America star John Amos is now confirmed to reprise his role in the upcoming sequel. Dubbed Coming 2 America, the follow-up brings back Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall as Prince Akeem and Semmi, respectively. James Earl Jones has also been reported to be back as King Jaffe Joffer along with Paul Bates reprising Oha, the king’s loyal servant. Also reported to be featured in new roles in the sequel are Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Jermaine Fowler, rapper Rick Ross, and Kiki Layne as Akeem’s daughter.
Directed by John Landis using a screenplay written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, Coming to America was first released in theaters in 1988. In the classic comedy movie, Eddie Murphy stars as the crown prince of the fictional African country of Zamunda. Hoping to find true love, Prince Akeem travels to the United States while keeping his true identity a secret. For over three decades the movie has remained one of Murphy’s most popular movies, and in the age of Hollywood nostalgia, now is the perfect time to revisit the royal Joffer family.
In the original movie, John Amos famously portrays McDowell’s manager Cleo McDowell. His restaurant brand is a parody of McDonald’s, complete with a similar logo, store design, and employee uniforms. “They’re McDonald’s – I’m McDowell’s,” Amos memorably says as Cleo in the movie. He adds: “They got the golden arches; we got the golden arcs.” After Cleo gives the prince a job at McDowell’s, Akeem meets his daughter and chooses her to be his royal bride. Of course, Cleo isn’t happy about one of his employees courting his daughter, but after he learns about Akeem’s true heritage, his tone quickly changes with hilarious results. As of now, there’s no word yet on if Shari Headley will be back as Lisa McDowell, but we’re certainly hoping so.
Related: Coming to America 2 Kicks Off Pre-Production with First Behind-the-Scenes Photos
At this point, speculation can resume over which other characters from the original movie could be returning next. Louie Anderson had a memorable role as a McDowell’s employee in the first one, and there should definitely be a place for him in the sequel. Eriq La Salle and Allison Dean were also entertaining as Lisa’s ex-boyfriend and sister, and cameo appearances from each would be fun. However, one must also wonder how many alternate roles Murphy and Hall will be playing in the movie this time around. Each played multiple characters in the original movie, and whether they’re going to be reprising any of them or perhaps playing some new ones, chances are the two will be having multiple parts once again.
Coming 2 America will see Akeem now ruling as the King of Zamunda. After learning about his long-lost son in the United States, Akeem travels back to America along with Semmi to meet the new family heir, who’s described as a “street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle.” The movie is set to be released in theaters on Dec. 18, 2020. This news comes to us from Deadline.
