Caffeinated Clint
While “Beverly Hills Cop 4” is still chained to an A-frame (it’s been in the works for a better part of a decade) and “Twins 2” (in which Murphy is attached to play the ‘third’ brother) is moving slower than a cat around a running tap, there’s been some big movement on at least one Eddie Murphy- movie sequel today.
“Coming to America 2”, which has come together rather quickly (especially in comparison to those other films above), is officially a go at Paramount, with the studio announcing they’ve hired “Hustle & Flow” helmer Craig Brewer to transport Prince Akeem back from Zamunda.
Brewer, whose other credits include (the unfairly criticized) “Footloose” remake and, recently worked with Murphy on Netflix’s Rudy Ray Moore biopic “Dolemite is my Name”, in which the latter plays the title role. Jonathan Levine, of “Warm Bodies” fame, had originally been attached to the project.
According to Deadline, Kenya Barris’s script sees Akeem (Murphy) learning about a long-lost son and returning to America to meet his unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda.
Apparently many of the original characters from John Landis’s 1988 original will return as well, including Arsenio Hall as Akeem’s assistant Seemi, Shar Headley, whom Akeem found in New York, John Amos, who played her father, and James Earl Jones, who depicted Akeem’s father the king.
“After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward”, Murphy said in a statement. “We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on Dolemite, and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.”
The film is set to lens sometime this year – presumably in a magical kingdom beyond the Paramount sign, as well as Queens, New York.
