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Almost 30 years after Eddie Murphy’s star turn as Prince Akeem, the wheels are in motion for a sequel to Coming to America. According to a recent report in The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures has enlisted the writers for the original film, Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, to pen the sequel. Kevin Misher (Carrie, Public Enemies) is attached as a producer.
(Read: Two Roles, One Star: A Brief History of Double Performances)
THR was unable to confirm Murphy’s possible involvement in the new film at this time, although as The A.V. Club points out, the actor recently teased a follow-up on Twitter before deleting the account entirely. At the time, TMZ sources said the actor was currently in the “early writing stages of the project.” In short, the smoke and mirrors are there, but nothing is really known about Murphy’s participation.
The John Landis-directed 1988 original film stars Murphy as Prince Akeem, who fled his African country to Queens, New York to avoid marrying his arranged bride and find an independent-minded woman in the United States. Arsenio Hall also starred in the comedy as the prince’s best friend Semmi, while James Earl Jones played Akeem’s father, King Jaffe.
Murphy’s latest film was 2016’s dreadful Mr. Church. Last year, rumors also surfaced about his involvement with two other sequels: Beverly Hills Cop 4 and Triplets, the follow-up to Twins.
Blaustein and Sheffield’s last major credit together was the 2005 Honeymooners reboot.