Coming 2 America

Coming to America of 1988 receives an aptly-titled sequel in 2021, with Eddie Murphy reprising his role as Akeem Joffer, who is now king of the fictional African nation of Zamunda. Like some other longer-range reboots/sequels, this instalment takes an intergenerational angle as we find Akeem again in New York City, this time in search of his long-lost, American-born and -raised son (Jermaine Fowler); the setup finds Akeem struggling to prepare his son to become the new prince of Zamunda.

The first thirty seconds or so is comprised of a fake-out in terms of tone; with a solemn choir, subtle strings and stately percussion, if one didn’t know better, one might think it were an epic drama. That it takes its time in setting it up and letting it go through multiple scenes, makes the about-face in tone that much more effective.

This facade is first pierced by the lines, “we are going back to America”, and the comedic tonal juxtaposition within the retort, “oh hell no, your majesty”; the line presages a subsequent and more dramatic shift in tone marked by the introduction in the soundtrack of the James Brown-esque 2015 track “Feel Right” by Mark Ronson (featuring Mystikal). We see a run-down of the casting credits as it plays, offering ample time to let this new mood set in before running dialogue one-liners as the casting cards continue. Notice the way the “oh hell no” line and the initial one-liners later during the casting title cards serve as intermediary points between the more well-defined sections of the trailer.

The roll call ceases at 1:07 and again at 1:18 for fairly straightforward punchlines during the barbershop scene reprises, before presenting the main title card at 1:34 alongside the topical lyrics “I’m back / sing it again” from the aforementioned Mark Ronson track. While it’s a bit on-the-nose, it definitely works. The two-part structure is light on substantial plot development or gags, but that could be exactly the point. The fake-out opening trope paired with the focus on casting is enough to sustain interest, and the music—and lyrics—are totally convincing. The trailer seems to lean on a combination of Eddie Murphy’s star power with scenes you remember from the first film, without giving too much away; more often than not, it’s refreshing to have a trailer keep the film largely under wraps.

Coming 2 America arrives on Amazon Prime Video on March 5th, having originally been slated for theatrical release by Paramount.

— Curtis Perry