The follow-up to 1988 comedy classic Coming to America has finally gotten the greenlight from Paramount Pictures -- and with star and comedy legend Eddie Murphy on board, to boot. Murphy confirmed Friday that he's set to reprise his role as Prince Akeem Joffer, the heir to the throne of the fictional African kingdom of Zamunda. He also revealed that Craig Brewer, who helmed Hustle & Flow, is set to direct and "black-ish" co-creator Kenya Barris has been hired to write the screenplay. The story will reportedly center on Akeem returning to America in order to meet the son he never knew he had.
Though the film's reportedly been in development for years, the phenomenonal success of 2018's Black Panther likely prompted a frantic Hollywood search for similar properties. Given the similarities between BP and Coming to America -- each movie features a predominantly Black cast and a story about a prince's ascendancy to the throne of a wealthy African kingdom -- the prospect of a Coming to America sequel likely had studio executives chomping at the bit. And moviegoers will soon have two African royal families to watch on the big screen.
The problem is, as funny as he is, Eddie Murphy has a horrible track record when it comes to sequels. Both Another 48 Hours and The Nutty Professor II were ginormous steps down from their respective predecessors and the Beverly Hills Cop films just got worse and worse with each new installment. And can you imagine a sequel to either Boomerang or Trading Places being worth $10?
The idea of Prince Akeem and Semmi returning to theaters some 30 plus years later does not inspire confidence. But including Black Panther director and co-writer Ryan Coogler in the screenwriting process could be a game-changer. Although Coming to America is a comedy and BP is a socially conscious superhero adventure, the latter does contain its share of humor.
If Coogler's on board, Mr. Murphy just might be on to something.
No comments:
Post a Comment