Looks like it’s full steam ahead for a Coming to America sequel.
Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has been tapped to write the script, with Jonathan Levine directing and Kevin Mishner producing.
The news was exclusively reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Although no formal deal is in place right now, Eddie Murphy is involved with the development of the sequel and he is expected to star.
In April, it was reported that Paramount, the studio behind the hit 1988 original, hired Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield to script it instead.
Fans have long suggested that a sequel should focus its story on the son of Prince Akeem and Lisa McDowell, who got married to the cheers of Zamundans at the end of the 1998 film.
For her part, Vanessa Bell Calloway – who appeared in the original as Imani Izzi (Prince Akeem’s arranged wife-to-be) was interested in a sequel back in April, telling TMZ that she’s “ready to go.”
The original film was a smash for Paramount; made for under $40 million, it grossed over $288 million worldwide, $128 million in the States alone. It’s a wonder that a sequel didn’t happen soon after, to capitalize on the momentum.