AComing to Americasequel is almost here — and its iconic stars are revealing why it took so long.Whileappearing virtually onExtraMonday evening,Coming to AmericaactorsEddie MurphyandArsenio Hallspoke candidly about the 1988 hit comedy and why it took more than 30 years for the film to get a follow-up feature.“We never planned on making a sequel to the movie,” Murphy, 59, explained. “We had done the movie and it was in the past. But the movie stayed around.““Of all the movies that I’ve done over the last 40 years,Coming to Americais the only one that … has a cult following,” Murphy continued. “… And then, maybe around six, five years ago, I got an idea. Then it took four years for it to come together.“Hall, 65, admitted that he and Murphy felt a lot of pressure from fans to make the film the best it could be. “Fans rolled up on you in the mall or on Twitter … ‘Don’t you f— up our movie! Don’t mess it up!’ You have to go into it with all that in your head,” he said.Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy inComing 2 America.TheComing to Americasequel — titledComing 2 America— will see Murphy reprise his role of Prince Akeem, and Hall as his best friend Semmi.The sequel film finds Akeem traveling back to America to find his long lost son, a Queens native named Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler).Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Alongside Murphy and Hall, other famous faces includingJames Earl Jones,Wesley Snipes,Leslie Jones,Tracy MorganandTeyana Taylorwill appear in the upcoming movie.RELATED VIDEO: Eddie Murphy and Craig Brewer Tease the ‘Coming to America’ SequelIn a recent interview withEssence, Murphy opened up about the film’s importance, telling the publication, “The legacy ofComing to Americais that it is unique, it’s rare.““Black people, we don’t get a lot of movies like this one.Coming to Americais a romantic fantasy comedy,” he said. “Usually, when we see ourselves on the screen, it’s heavy things … Rarely do we get just to go see some escapism. Just to go see a movie and not have to think about any of that stuff.““Coming to Americais an all-Black cast, but the movie’s not about race,” the actor continued. “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.“Murphy added: “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.“Coming 2 Americais available to stream March 5 on Amazon Prime Video.
AComing to Americasequel is almost here — and its iconic stars are revealing why it took so long.
Whileappearing virtually onExtraMonday evening,Coming to AmericaactorsEddie MurphyandArsenio Hallspoke candidly about the 1988 hit comedy and why it took more than 30 years for the film to get a follow-up feature.
“We never planned on making a sequel to the movie,” Murphy, 59, explained. “We had done the movie and it was in the past. But the movie stayed around.”
“Of all the movies that I’ve done over the last 40 years,Coming to Americais the only one that … has a cult following,” Murphy continued. “… And then, maybe around six, five years ago, I got an idea. Then it took four years for it to come together.”
Hall, 65, admitted that he and Murphy felt a lot of pressure from fans to make the film the best it could be. “Fans rolled up on you in the mall or on Twitter … ‘Don’t you f— up our movie! Don’t mess it up!’ You have to go into it with all that in your head,” he said.
Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy inComing 2 America.
TheComing to Americasequel — titledComing 2 America— will see Murphy reprise his role of Prince Akeem, and Hall as his best friend Semmi.
The sequel film finds Akeem traveling back to America to find his long lost son, a Queens native named Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler).
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Alongside Murphy and Hall, other famous faces includingJames Earl Jones,Wesley Snipes,Leslie Jones,Tracy MorganandTeyana Taylorwill appear in the upcoming movie.
RELATED VIDEO: Eddie Murphy and Craig Brewer Tease the ‘Coming to America’ Sequel
In a recent interview withEssence, Murphy opened up about the film’s importance, telling the publication, “The legacy ofComing to Americais that it is unique, it’s rare.”
“Black people, we don’t get a lot of movies like this one.Coming to Americais a romantic fantasy comedy,” he said. “Usually, when we see ourselves on the screen, it’s heavy things … Rarely do we get just to go see some escapism. Just to go see a movie and not have to think about any of that stuff.”
“Coming to Americais an all-Black cast, but the movie’s not about race,” the actor continued. “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.”
Murphy added: “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.”
Coming 2 Americais available to stream March 5 on Amazon Prime Video.
source: people.com
