According to The Tracking Board, a Coming to America sequel is in the works at Paramount Pictures, with the original film’s screenwriters Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield signed to write the script. It is being written as a vehicle for Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem (most likely King Akeem by now) of the fictional country of Zamunda to return.
The original film was directed by John Landis, and starred Murphy as a wealthy African prince who comes to Queens, New York posing as a poor man to search for a bride. The film co-starred Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, John Amos, Eriq La Salle and Louie Anderson.
Kevin Misher (Mirror Mirror, the Carrie remake) is set to produce the Coming to America sequel, whose plot is currently being kept under wraps. Murphy had previously spent years developing a Beverly Hills Cop IV for Paramount, which ultimately stalled out due to script woes, so it will be interesting to see how the new Coming to America takes shape.
After Coming to America grossed over $288 million worldwide in 1988, Blaustein and Sheffield wrote several more Eddie Murphy vehicles, including Boomerang, The Nutty Professor and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. The pair most recently wrote the 2005 remake of The Honeymooners, while Blaustein directed the comedies The Ringer and Peep World.
Murphy has kept a low profile over the last five years, only starring in one film, the dramatic 2016 dud Mr. Church. He’s been attached to several non-starter projects including Beverly Hills Cop IV, a Twins sequel titled Triplets and a Richard Pryor biopic from Lee Daniels. His famous brother Charlie Murphy just tragically passed away at age 57.
