Prince Akeem is set to return to Queens, New York. More than three decades after Eddie Murphy film played the African prince in Coming to America, a remake is reportedly going ahead.
In 1988, when the film opened with an aerial shot over an isolated white palace tucked in a lush green forest, Coming to America portrayed a naïve, stock photo version of Africa. It was a simple stereotype that celebrated black identity politics of the time, seeking to reconnect with an African identity, replete with the Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing Solomon Linda’s classic Mbube (The lion sleeps tonight).
When the sequel returns, it will find a new generation of African Americans who eagerly travel to Africa, and know much more about it. And, it will also have a much more engaged African audience as well.
In the film, the African prince’s over-the-top “Good morning my neighbors!” routine is ridiculous—this is a comedy after all—but it’s also in stark contrast to the life of anonymity and minimum wage in pre-gentrification Queens he tries to escape to. The idea wasn’t new then, and it isn’t now, but the film itself has become iconic. It was made when Murphy was at the top of his game and breaking barriers in Hollywood. The film is a classic comedy, and regular inspiration for Halloween costumes and new jokes.
If the sequel happens after all, it will come at a time when Hollywood has seen its script rewritten by technology and increased diversity. For black filmgoers in particular, storylines, characters, directors, writers and even set lighting have become more inclusive. For Murphy, who in part laid this foundation, taking advantage of this new scenario could produce a film even more unprecedented than the first. Read more