Coming 2 America (2020)

[raven]

Quote

Coming 2 America is an upcoming American comedy film. The second installment in the Coming to America film series, it serves as a sequel to the original 1988 film. The film is directed by Craig Brewer, from a screenplay by David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, and Kenya Barris, based on characters created by Eddie Murphy.

The film stars Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Shari Headley, John Amos, Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, and James Earl Jones.[1] The film is scheduled to be released on December 18, 2020 in the United States.

Had no idea about this until today.  Who knows what will happen by December, hopefully it will be released somehow if not in theaters.  Here's some info.  I don't think we'll get Soul Glo though.

 

[xaxat]

Even though it won't be released for months, given current events, I will not be surprised if we find that it has not aged well.

[BetterButter]

Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming 2 America’ Moves From Paramount to Amazon Studios

[Spartan Girl]

Does this mean I'll have to get Amazon Prime to watch this?

[BetterButter]

‘Coming 2 America’ Sets March 2021 Release Date on Amazon

[BetterButter]

‘Coming 2 America’ First Look: Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall Are Back in Queens

[Trini]

Oh, this looks hilarious already:

 

 

[Spartan Girl]

Does this mean we’re finally going to get a trailer for Christmas?

[AimingforYoko]

On 12/20/2020 at 12:18 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Does this mean we’re finally going to get a trailer for Christmas?

Ask, and ye shall receive:

 

[Spartan Girl]

I’m so in! 

[Blergh]

It looks like Messrs. Hall and Murphy will be revisiting their side characters in addition to the royal ones  

 

Spoiler

OK, it appears that Prince/King Hakeem had stayed married to Lisa and they had a daughter but he must return to the USA to find the son to be his kingdom's heir. Now of course the question is what will Lisa's reaction be when he admits that he sired a son (evidently around the time of his courtship with her) and will his newfound grown son accept that his hithero unknown father  and being the heir to this kingdom? Finding an heir is one thing but getting him and the others to accept the traditional destiny is quite something else.

 

 

Spoiler

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coming_2_America

 

[Dandesun]

The fact that Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate are going to be with us again makes us all the real winners here.

[GHScorpiosRule]

4 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Ask, and ye shall receive:

 

[Popples]

Those barbershop dudes should be like 100. I can't wait for this!

[Spartan Girl]

My favorite part of the trailer was Semmi's response when Akeem said they were going back to the US: "Oh HELL NO, Your Majesty!"

LOL, can't blame him there.

[RunningMarket]

Complete speculation, but I'll put it in spoiler tags regardless.

Spoiler

I wonder if they'll make it so the daughter (of Akeem and Lisa) can be the ruler, just like the King changed the rules for Akeem to marry Lisa at the end of the first movie. "I can't change the rules." "I thought you were the King!"

 

[Trini]

19 hours ago, RunningMarket said:

Complete speculation, but I'll put it in spoiler tags regardless.

  Reveal spoiler

I wonder if they'll make it so the daughter (of Akeem and Lisa) can be the ruler, just like the King changed the rules for Akeem to marry Lisa at the end of the first movie. "I can't change the rules." "I thought you were the King!"

 

It's predictable, but I'm expecting that to happen. If they can manage to put some type of twist on it, that'd be nice.

---

I hope we also get at least one Wakanda/Black Panther reference! Ruth E. Carter is also doing the costumes for this film.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Trini

[Kromm]

Since the first film made a point of it's happy ending, this sequel basically seems to have to run on the premise that Akeem slept with someone else around the same time he met Lisa.  In other words they have to ruin our impression of him from the first film to do this.

I think they're

Spoiler

hiding the (possible) fact that the kid in question is Semmi's.  

Or not.  They may come up with some elaborate justification.

I have to admit I hate the NAME of this film. It's literally impossible to describe which of the two films you are speaking about without either spelling it out or saying "the first film" and "this film".

[Blergh]

I guess one could say Coming 2 [the number] America to differentiate it from Coming to [t-o] America but saying the original and sequel will have to awkwardly suffice.  I wonder what the titles are in other languages since I think English is one of the few in which that particular number and that particular preposition sound identical. 

 

Yeah, that was one of the lamer sequel titles out there. 

[Spartan Girl]

12 hours ago, Kromm said:

Since the first film made a point of it's happy ending, this sequel basically seems to have to run on the premise that Akeem slept with someone else around the same time he met Lisa.  In other words they have to ruin our impression of him from the first film to do this.

I think they're

  Reveal spoiler

hiding the (possible) fact that the kid in question is Semmi's.  

Or not.  They may come up with some elaborate justification.

I have to admit I hate the NAME of this film. It's literally impossible to describe which of the two films you are speaking about without either spelling it out or saying "the first film" and "this film".

I really really hope they won’t mess with the happy ending. I mean, if it was before him and Lisa actually started dating/got married it isn’t exactly unforgivable.

[Trini]

12 hours ago, Kromm said:

Since the first film made a point of it's happy ending, this sequel basically seems to have to run on the premise that Akeem slept with someone else around the same time he met Lisa.  In other words they have to ruin our impression of him from the first film to do this.

Yeah, I don't like it; but I guess I have to roll with it, since that's what they're going with for the premise.

12 hours ago, Kromm said:

I think they're

  Reveal spoiler

hiding the (possible) fact that the kid in question is Semmi's.  

Or not.  They may come up with some elaborate justification.

Spoiler

That's one way to clear Akeem, but paternity/DNA tests are relatively easy to do nowadays, so I feel that's a lot less likely to happen. Also I feel like The King (J.E.J.) would be one to definitely find out if he had a another heir out there.

 

[Robert Lynch]

So far 2020 has been a shit year for movies. Let's hope this one lives up to its expectations.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Robert Lynch

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, Robert Lynch said:

So far 2020 has been a shit year for movies. Let's hope this one lives up to its expectations.

Technically it’ll be 2021

[Robert Lynch]

Exactly what I meant to say.

[Spartan Girl]

New trailer just came out and it confirms that the son Akeem fathered was before he met Lisa. 

[VCRTracking]

Some dudes online already mad because it looks like the son will be unworthy so tradition will be broken and the daughter with Lisa will become the heir. 

[Trini]

Loving the costumes! I want some of those dresses!

 

[Spartan Girl]

4 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Some dudes online already mad because it looks like the son will be unworthy so tradition will be broken and the daughter with Lisa will become the heir. 

Oh screw them.

[Trini]

Oh, and I guess I got my Wakanda reference, but it was just to say that it doesn't exist in this universe! Oh well.

[Dandesun]

5 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Some dudes online already mad because it looks like the son will be unworthy so tradition will be broken and the daughter with Lisa will become the heir. 

Stay mad about it. 

How many movies have there been about mediocre men falling up by virtue of their having a penis?

I do like that this trailer acknowledges some of the bullshit. I'm looking forward to seeing it all play out.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Dandesun said:

I do like that this trailer acknowledges some of the bullshit. I'm looking forward to seeing it all play out.

Me too. The premise that he was looking for his son because his daughter couldn’t rule was my one reservation about this movie. Seeing they will address it changed that. 

I loved the first movie but there are definitely some parts that wouldn’t fly now. I’m glad they are not glossing over it. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Guest

[raven]

13 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

New trailer just came out and it confirms that the son Akeem fathered was before he met Lisa. 

I was sorta surprised that was a question; I mean he was "sowing his royal oats" before he met her, though I bet the movie will have it be a drunken one night stand or some such. 

11 minutes ago, Dani said:

I loved the first movie but there are definitely some parts that wouldn’t fly now. I’m glad they are not glossing over it. 

I don't think we'll see bathers; I do wonder if that will be addressed, I can definitely imagine Lisa doing some educating and removing that "tradition".

[VCRTracking]

American wife, proud eldest daughter, nerdy middle daughter, sassy youngest daughter, the need for a male heir....it's like Downton Abbey!

[Trini]

Some promotion in Essence magazine and online:

 

[Racj82]

On 2/3/2021 at 10:28 AM, VCRTracking said:

Some dudes online already mad because it looks like the son will be unworthy so tradition will be broken and the daughter with Lisa will become the heir. 

That is 100 percent what they will do. It just so happens that it makes sense in this case. It's not just pandering or whatever. Their daughter was born and raised into royalty. This new son shouldn't come in and be put straight in line for the throne just because he has a penis. 

[BetterButter]

 

[VCRTracking]

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall Reveal Studio Forced Them to Put White Actor in ‘Coming to America’

Not shocked. Paramount gave them a list of white actors and Murphy picked Louie Anderson because they liked his comedy. I wonder if they weren't forced, who would've played the part Louie played? 

[Trini]

Photo gallery at Essence: The Cast Of 'Coming 2 America' Then And Now, and there's also a video about the costumes at the link.

[RunningMarket]

It dropped early, so my husband and I watched it last night. Definitely not as funny as the original, but some great call backs. The last 5 minutes made us howl with laughter. The plot is predictable, but I didn't expect nor did I want something serious right now where I would be surprised. I wanted familiar characters with familiar jokes for comfort, and that's what I got.

[Zahdii]

38 minutes ago, RunningMarket said:

It dropped early, so my husband and I watched it last night. Definitely not as funny as the original, but some great call backs. The last 5 minutes made us howl with laughter. The plot is predictable, but I didn't expect nor did I want something serious right now where I would be surprised. I wanted familiar characters with familiar jokes for comfort, and that's what I got.

I've got to wait until later today to watch because I promised my daughter we'd watch it together.  Just answer one question: How did Akeem have a kid he didn't know about?  Just put it under spoilers, if you like.

[RunningMarket]

1 hour ago, Zahdii said:

I've got to wait until later today to watch because I promised my daughter we'd watch it together.  Just answer one question: How did Akeem have a kid he didn't know about?  Just put it under spoilers, if you like.

Spoiler

He slept with Leslie Jones' character before he met Lisa. She was a woman he met at the bar when he and Semmi were going every night. There's more to the story (it involves Semmi being Semmi, of course), but that's the gist.

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by RunningMarket

[BetterButter]

Shine Through: The Definitive Oral History of ‘Soul Glo’

Edited March 6, 2021 by BetterButter

[vibeology]

The costumes in this movie are some of the best costumes I have ever seen. Ruth Carter is the best costume designer working today. The looks are incredible. I did not love this movie (it's okay) but I loved looking at every second of it.

[TiffanyNichelle]

I just watched. I wasn't happy with the early lines about Akeem not being a real man because he only had daughters but the movie picked up from there. I wouldn't say it was good but it was fun for the most part. I wish they hadn't spent so much time doing callbacks to the original movie. There can be a case of too many references. But it was a cute movie and just what I wanted on a Friday night at home rather than paying to see it in a theater. 

I also noticed some scenes from the trailer weren't in the movie.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Yes, this was a nice fun distraction. 

I wasn’t a fan of Akeem turning into a judgy king like his father.

It definitely wasn’t as good as the first movie, and while I love Leslie Jones, hated her character.

The best part for me were the outtakes and bloopers at the end; especially the one of he actor who played Lavelle (sorry not familiar with him) was impersonating Eddie while holding up the “lion” whiskers.

Was that from an SNL skit or
Trading Places????

[Joimiaroxeu]

It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. They probably could've cut 30 minutes out easily though.

The costumes were spectacular, as were the hairdos and wigs. I think there will definitely be Emmy nominations for those.

Don't know why but I was surprised to see Trevor Noah putting on a generic "African" accent. I guess he was in on the joke.

I usually don't like Wesley Snipes but he seemed to be having himself a grand old time here.

Didn't care for that red wedding gown though, at least until she removed the train. I think it's ridiculous to wear outfits that are so big they inconvenience the people around you--even if it is your wedding. Plus that huge train must've been awfully heavy to drag along. Maybe it had wheels underneath it or something.

Does anyone know who the woman was singing the To Be Loved cover near the end? Google results say it's Jackie Wilson, apparently unaware that a) Jackie Wilson was a man, and b) Jackie Wilson died in 1984.

Edited March 7, 2021 by Joimiaroxeu

[moonorchid]

I didn’t have high hopes from the trailers, it already was looking like the jokes were the lowest common denomenator.

I wish they went away from “long lost son” but I get they were going for the “fish out of water” vibe like in the first one. They wrung all the jokes they could from that thin concept this go around. 

I was surprised and disappointed that Akeem had an American wife, three daughters, and hadn’t decreed more rights for the woman of Zamunda and was binding himself to an archaic law that he barely followed in his own youth, which to be fair he realizes in the end.

This movie veered into parody territory multiple times throughout but in the last 15 mins it really pulled it together and ended on a high note. The nostalgia is what saved it. 

 

[Amethyst]

I think it would have been better if Lavelle was Semmi's son, not Akeem's.  I never once bought the bond between Akeem and Lavelle and I could have believed that Semmi had slept with Mary all those years ago and just lied to Akeem about it.  

It actually started out pretty good, but the cracks started showing about 30 minutes in.  Part of what made the first so funny was seeing Akeem try to fit in among the New Yorkers, but Lavelle trying to fit in at Zamunda didn't have the same comedic value. 

Most of the ending had me just going "Oh, ok."  Like Lavelle and Mirembe getting married after they just met. 

Kiki Layne was great, though.  Actually, I liked all of Akeem's daughters.  His second daughter Omma was played by Eddie Murphy's daughter IRL, Bella.  

I'm not sure if Lavelle and Mirembe are actually going back to New York.  Meeka asked him if he could really leave "all this" at the celebration, and they looked around and said "Nah."  I got that it was a callback to the ending in the first movie, but I couldn't tell if he was being serious.

Not a bad movie, but I wouldn't spend $20 at the movies for it.  The callbacks were actually the best part, IMO.  The Peaches rappers cracked me up.

[moonorchid]

8 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I think it would have been better if Lavelle was Semmi's son, not Akeem's.  I never once bought the bond between Akeem and Lavelle and I could have believed that Semmi had slept with Mary all those years ago and just lied to Akeem about it.  

It actually started out pretty good, but the cracks started showing about 30 minutes in.  Part of what made the first so funny was seeing Akeem try to fit in among the New Yorkers, but Lavelle trying to fit in at Zamunda didn't have the same comedic value. 

Most of the ending had me just going "Oh, ok."  Like Lavelle and Mirembe getting married after they just met. 

Kiki Layne was great, though.  Actually, I liked all of Akeem's daughters.  His second daughter Omma was played by Eddie Murphy's daughter IRL, Bella.  

I'm not sure if Lavelle and Mirembe are actually going back to New York.  Meeka asked him if he could really leave "all this" at the celebration, and they looked around and said "Nah."  I got that it was a callback to the ending in the first movie, but I couldn't tell if he was being serious.

Not a bad movie, but I wouldn't spend $20 at the movies for it.  The callbacks were actually the best part, IMO.  The Peaches rappers cracked me up.

I thought this is where the movie was gonna go cause when akeem says Lavelle was his son, the camera cuts to Tracy Morgan’s character and the look on his face looks like he knows something.

So from there I thought Lavelle and Meeka were gonna bond and hint towards being a thing and that’s how he would come to be the heir but it never happened.

[TiffanyNichelle]

57 minutes ago, moonorchid said:

So from there I thought Lavelle and Meeka were gonna bond and hint towards being a thing and that’s how he would come to be the heir but it never happened.

Ok I thought we were going to go that way during the scene where they talk about the lion. I also kept waiting for anyone to mention a DNA test or something.