Coming to America

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Eddie Murphy as:
  • Prince Akeem Joffer, the Crown Prince of Zamunda
  • Randy Watson, a soul singer with the fictional band Sexual Chocolate.
  • Saul, a Jewish barbershop customer
  • Clarence, owner of the barber shop.
• Arsenio Hall as:
  • Semmi, Akeem’s friend
  • Reverend Brown
  • Morris, a barber
  • Extremely Ugly Girl, an unattractive female clubgoer.
• James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer, Akeem’s father and King of Zamunda.
• John Amos as Cleo McDowell, Akeem’s employer and Lisa’s father.
• Madge Sinclair as Queen Aoleon Joffer, Akeem’s mother and the Queen of Zamunda.
• Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell, Cleo’s older daughter and Akeem’s love interest.
• Clint Smith as Sweets, a barber.
• Paul Bates as Oha, a royal servant.
• Eriq La Salle as Darryl Jenks, Lisa’s boyfriend whom she eventually breaks up with.
• Frankie Faison as the landlord who manages the apartment building where Akeem and Semmi live.
• Vanessa Bell as Imani Izzi, betrothed as Akeem’s intended wife.
• Louie Anderson as Maurice, a McDowell’s employee.
• Allison Dean as Patrice McDowell, Cleo’s younger daughter and Lisa’s sister.
• Sheila Johnson as a lady-in-waiting.
• Jake Steinfeld as a cab driver.
• Calvin Lockhart as Colonel Izzi, Imani’s father
• Samuel L. Jackson as the Hold-Up Man

Storyline:

Immersed in luxury and riches, courteous Prince Akeem, the refined heir apparent to Africa’s prosperous kingdom of Zamunda, summons up the courage to reject an arranged marriage proposal on his 21st birthday. As a result, bent on finding true love, the young blueblood heads to the strange urban jungle of New York City’s Queens. To mask his regal descent, Akeem and his trusted valet Semmi must post as humble exchange students, doing their best to mingle with their neighbors. But more than anything in the world, the noble bachelor yearns to be loved for who he is and not for his title. Is Prince Akeem destined to find his soulmate in America’s bustling Big Apple?

About Movie:

“Coming to America” is an American romantic comedy directed by John Landis and co-written by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the lead role. The film features Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, and Shari Headley.

Murphy earned $8 million for his role, plus 15% of film rentals, while Landis received $600,000 and 10% of gross receipts. An “easter egg” in the film includes Landis’s trademark “See You Next Wednesday” on a science-fiction movie poster in the subway station.

Released on June 29, 1988, the film follows Akeem Joffer (Murphy), the crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who travels to the U.S. to find a wife who will love him for who he is, rather than for his status or training.

The plot inspired the Tamil film My Dear Marthandan and the Hong Kong film The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon.

In 1989, a pilot for a spin-off TV series was created but never picked up. On January 11, 2019, a sequel was announced with Murphy reprising his role and Craig Brewer as director. Initially set for a theatrical release on December 18, 2020, the sequel was eventually released digitally on Amazon Prime Video on March 4, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Budget & Box Office Collection: