Craig Brewer will direct Eddie Murphy in ‘Coming to America 2’.
The 1988 romantic comedy – in which Eddie plays Prince Akeem, the prince of a fictional African country who travels to America to escape an arranged marriage and find a wife – will be returning to the big screen in a highly anticipated sequel, directed by the 47-year-old ‘Footloose’ director.
The studio initially hired ‘Snatch’ director Jonathan Levine to direct the sequel, however, he has since bowed out and Craig stepped in.
In a statement, Eddie said: "After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that ‘Coming to America 2’ is officially moving forward. We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on ‘Dolemite [Is My Name]’, and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen."
The new story will see Akeem returning to America when he learns of a long-lost son and unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda.
Paramount reportedly eager to begin filming this years and are hopeful that original’s stars, such as James Earl Jones and Arsenio Hall, will be returning to the cast.
Kenya Barris – the creator of ‘Black-ish’ – will rewrite a script ‘Coming to America’ original writers Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield.
Kenya said: "Craig’s ability to create a distinct cinematic world with each of his films is not only impressive but also what made him exactly the voice and vision we needed to bring this story to life."
"From ‘Hustle & Flow’ to his work with Eddie on ‘Dolemite Is My Name’, he never fails to blow me away. He is a true auteur and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on board."
Craig Brewer to direct Eddie Murphy in Coming to America sequel
