John Landis' 1988 romantic comedy COMING TO AMERICA starred Eddie Murphy as Akeem Joffer, the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who traveled to the United States along with his friend/aide Semmi (Arsenio Hall) in the hopes of finding a woman he could marry. Decades later, a sequel is in development which welcomes back almost all of the original cast as well as a handful of new additions. Honestly, given the history of long-delayed comedy sequels, I'm not overly optimistic about COMING TO AMERICA 2, but let's keep our fingers crossed.
Production on COMING TO AMERICA 2 is slated to kick off next month and THR has reported that Tracy Morgan (WHAT MEN WANT) has signed on, joining a cast which also includes Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, and Kiki Layne. The sequel follows Akeem (Murphy) as he discovers that he has a son he never knew about, a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. In an effort to honour his father's dying wish to groom his son as a new crowned prince, Akeem must once again return to America. Tracy Morgan is set to play Reem, a hustler who is also the brother to Lavelle's mother (Leslie Jones), the woman who once had a one-night stand with Akeem. COMING TO AMERICA 2 is slated to hit theaters on December 18, 2020 under the direction of Craig Brewer (DOLEMITE IS MY NAME).
What's next for Tracy Morgan you might ask? Well, the comedian will be lending his voice to SCOOB, Warner Bros.' upcoming animated Scooby-Doo movie which will hit theaters on May 15, 2020, as well as Green Eggs and Ham, an animated Netflix series based upon the beloved book by Dr. Seuss. The series will follow opposites Guy and Sam as they venture out on a road trip to save an endangered animal from a far off zoo. Along the way they learn to try new things like hope, friendship, and a certain delectable dish. Green Eggs and Ham is expected to drop on Netflix this fall.