Deadline has the exclusive that Paramount Pictures has hired "Hustle and Flow" director Craig Brewer to direct "Coming To America 2", the sequel to the 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy.
Murphy will be back in the role of Akeem, the privileged African prince who settles into Queens to look for an American wife. Brewer just directed Murphy in "Dolemite Is My Name," a biopic on the actor who played the famous cinematic blaxploitation character in the 1970s. That collaboration seems to have most likely gotten Murphy to vouch for Brewer to get on board with the "Coming to America" sequel.
Kenya Barris is rewriting a script by original “Coming to America” writers Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield.
Deadline has this plot synopsis:
"Akeem learns about a long lost son, and must return to America to meet his unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda."
“After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward,” Murphy said in a statement. “We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on Dolemite, and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.”
"My Name Is Dolemite" has wrapped shooting, and was penned by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski. Murphy will play the blaxploitation star alongside Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Rock, Craig Robinson and T.I.