A virtual roundtable on the upcoming Coming to America sequel was hosted by The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and University and Amazon Prime Video and featured Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Tracy Morgan, Rotimi and Jermaine Fowler.
The actors sat down to speak with 13 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) journalists to discuss the legacy of the Zamudan throne and that of the film.
Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall have reprised the roles of Akeem and Semmi in Coming 2 America and reflect on bringing these two characters together to create comedic relief for many more generations to come.
“Going into this movie we never thought we were going to be doing a sequel to Coming to America,” said Murphy. “We did it and kind of forgot about it. Then the movie kind of stayed in the culture. It’s on the tv all the time, little lines from the movies become catchphrases.”
Anyae Johns a Hampton University writer at the Hampton Script, asked what was it like to continue the story of Prince Akeem and Simmi?
“We worked on the script for four years,” Murphy said. “Coming back and doing it was exciting because we knew we had a great script. We knew we were going to have something special. And we knew there was never a movie that was the sequel 32 years later. So we knew we were in uncharted territory.”
Hall added to the conversation about how the costumes helped him create his character once again. Ruth E. Carter was the wardrobe designer for this film and Hall commended and thanked her for taking this journey with them to create the second movie.
“She [Ruth E. Carter] brought the magic to this movie,” Halle said. “It was a high wardrobe bar. Once she put us in it was easy to step into the roles. She is amazing and I can’t thank her enough for being in this movie.”
Many of us are curious about the type of legacy we will leave behind. Coming to America has created it’s own legacy with its comedic charm. Kennedy London from the Maroon Tiger was most intrigued by the legacy of the film. He asked Murphy how the film played a role in his acting legacy?
“I don’t see my movies as a legacy,” Murphy said. “My children are my legacy. I see acting as a way to keep the lights on.”
The film Coming 2 America also touches the theme of traditional v.s. modern views. Akeem battles this theme when he has to decide which one of his children will rule over Zamunda. Hall addressed the message the director Kenya Barris was trying to portray.
“I loved what Kenya Barris did to bring female empowerment message through,” Hall said. “And how we as a people and cultures around the world have to change as to how we feel about our women.”
You can find the film on the Amazon Prime App on March 5th.
