The cast for Coming to America 2, officially titledComing 2 America, continues to grow. We just learned today that Wesley Snipes is set to join the ensemble, which sees Eddie Murphy returning as Prince Akeem, alongside his right-hand man Semmi, played once again by Arsenio Hall. Now we have word that a handful of additional stars have been added to the cast, including James Earl Jones, who returns as Akeem’s father, King Jaffe.
According to multiple reports,James Earl Joneshas signed on to return inComing 2 America. Jones most recently reprised his role as Mufasa in Disney’sThe Lion Kingremake, which has gone on to become one of the biggest hits of 2019. Craig Brewer, who recently helmed Netflix’sDolemite is My Name, which also stars Eddie Murphy, is in the director’s chair. As far as additional cast members go,Saturday Night LivestarLeslie Joneshas boarded the sequel in an unspecified role. Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk), meanwhile, has been tapped to play Akeem’s daughter. Paul Bates, who starred in the original, is also returning as Oha. Lastly, rapper Rick Ross has also boarded the project in an unspecified role.
Coming 2 Americawill reportedly see Akeem ready to assume his new role asKing of Zamunda. However, he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America, described as “a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle.” Honoring his father’s final wish to groom his son as the new prince of Zamunda, Akeem and Semmi once again set off to America to meet the unlikely heir. With that in mind, it will be really interesting to see how Kiki Layne factors in as Akeem’s daughter. We can only assume there will be some jealousy and tension there.
This is a project that has been in the works, at least talked about, for a very long time. Things got extremely real earlier this year when Paramount showed off asizzle reel during CinemaConthat showed Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall back in character for the sequel. Murphy, who was at one point one of the biggest comedy stars on the planet, has been relatively quiet in recent years. He’s got several similar sequels, such asTripletsandBeverly Hills Cop 4, at various stages of the development process as well. Between this,Dolemite is My Nameand his rumored stand-up deal with Netflix, Murphy could be on the verge of a serious comeback.
The original Coming to America, directed by John Landis and released in 1988, was a massive success, earning $288 million at the worldwide box office. Eddie Murphy, in addition to starring in the sequel, is set to produce alongside Kevin Misher and Kenya Barris. Production is expected to begin next month. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details on the project are made available.Coming 2 Americais set to arrive in theaters on August 13, 2025. This news was previously reported byThe Hollywood Reporter.
