Photo by Erika Goldring/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — Prince Akeem will officially have his right-hand man beside him in the upcoming sequel Coming 2 America.
According to Deadline, Arsenio Hall has closed his deal to reprise his role as Semi in Coming 2 America. The actor was rumored to be starring in the project alongside Eddie Murphy and was recently pictured with Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter on set just a few months ago.
The original 1988 film Coming to America starred Murphy as Akeem Joffer, crown prince of the fictional African nation of Zamunda. In an effort to find a wife, Akeem, along with his trusty assistant Semi, played by Hall, decides to travel to Queens, NY.
In the sequel, Akeem learns about a long-lost son and must return to America to meet the “unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda.”
In addition to Murphy and Hall, most of the original film’s cast, including Shari Headley and James Earl Jones, is expected to return. However, as of now, only Murphy, Hall and Jermaine Fowler have officially signed on.
As previously noted, black-ish creator Kenya Barris is rewriting a script from original Coming to America writers Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield.
Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer has signed on to direct the project, which Murphy’s also producing. The two recently worked together on the Netflix comedy Dolemite Is My Name, which follows the story of real-life comedian Rudy Ray Moore.
Coming 2 America is set to hit theaters August 7, 2020.
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