Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall come together in the first look at the comedy sequel

It’s been thirty-two years since Coming To America debuted in theaters.

And avid fans are finally getting their first look at the upcoming sequel, in new footage released by Amazon Studios on Thursday.

Coming 2 America arrives on Amazon Prime Video on March 5, 2021.

The images show Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall still youthful in character as the returning Prince Akeem and his loyal friend Semmi respectively.

Also seen are James Earl Jones, reprising his role as Jaffe Joffer, and the timeless Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell.

Also returning is RHOBH cast member Garcelle Beauvais, who plays Rose.

And in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on Thursday, director Craig Brewer spoke about dealing with fans’ expectations during the making of the sequel.

The conversations Eddie and I had were pretty much, where is Coming To America in people’s hearts? Because it is not just any film, it is a cultural touchstone for many people. ‘

“You get everyone’s opinion on what it is, but we had to get to the gist of what is going to bring people to this movie.”

“It’s such a nostalgic party, especially for people our age.”

The film is a sequel to the 1988 romantic comedy Coming to America, which was directed by John Landis and also starred Murphy, who conceived the story.

The production was a great success, grossing $ 350 million worldwide with a budget of $ 36 million.

The upcoming film will follow the soon-to-be-crowned Prince Akeem and his trusted assistant Semmi as they return to New York City in search of a son, played by Jermaine Fowler, of whom the prince was previously unaware.

In addition to the Beverly Hills Cop actor, the sequel will star Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones and John Amos, who all appeared in the original film.

Added to the cast of the sequel include Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Morgan Freeman.

The script is being written by former Saturday Night Live writers David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein along with Black-esque creator Kenya Davis.

After the success of the first film, a TV pilot was produced, but it was not picked up as a show; it was eventually broadcast in 1989 as part of the CBS Summer Playhouse pilot anthology series.