Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy Reveals Film's Important Legacy

Coming 2 America star Eddie Murphy has revealed the movie's important legacy.

Thirty-three years after its sequel was made, Coming 2 America is highly anticipated and one reason for that is its ensemble cast.

Among those returning to share the screen with Eddie Murphy (who reprises his role as Prince Hakeem) are James Earl Jones (King Jaffe Joffer), Arsenio Hall (Semmi), and Shari Headley (Lisa).

In the sequel, Prince Hakeem is tasked by his father to find his adult son who resides in Queens, New York. From then on, it's a non-stop ride of comic and bizarre encounters for everyone involved.

But there is more to the movie than the expected comic element, as lead actor Murphy recently stated in an interview with Essence. 

Speaking on the film's important legacy, the actor explained: "The legacy of Coming to America is that it's unique, it's rare. Black people, we don't get a lot of movies like this one."

"Coming to America is a romantic fantasy comedy. Usually, when we see ourselves on the screen, it's heavy things. Rarely do we get to see some escapism."

"Just to go see a movie and not have to think about any of that stuff. Coming to America is an all-Black cast, but the movie's not about race. It's not about having a foot in your ass or 'Wake Up' or 'Keep hope Alive'"

"It's none of those things that you can just go and sit back and watch the movie. And it's about these people and it's about somebody that's trying to find true love."

"It's like a fantasy, like a fairy tale. And that's the legacy of the movie that it's one of the few romantic fairytales with Black people. I think that's why we love it."

"That's why thirty years later, we still watch it and they show it on Christmas and all that. 'Cause, it's this sweet thing."

Coming 2 America is directed by Craig Brewer and will be released on Amazon's Prime Video on March 5, 2021.