That Coming to America sequel has a director, is finally actually happening

Eddie Murphy is teaming up with director Craig Brewer for Paramount’s sequel to Coming To America, in which Murphy will reprise his role as prince Akeem of the fictional African nation of Zamunda, as Deadline reports. The 1988 original, which focused on Prince Akeem’s adventures in New York City in search of a wife, features a star-studded cast, quotable moments, and undertones of women’s empowerment, all of which have helped make it a certified comedy classic.

Kenya Barris, creator of ABC’s Black-ish, has signed on to executive produce the film; he was hired to rewrite a sequel draft from original screenwriters Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield last fall. According to Deadline, the sequel sees Akeem returning to the States after learning about his long-lost son—and heir to the throne of Zamunda.

Barris, along with co-producers Murphy and Kevin Misher, is reportedly planning to bring back the original cast, with a goal to begin production in 2019. According to Deadline, returning cast members will include James Earl Jones as Zamundan king Jaffe Joffer; Arsenio Hall as the prince’s right-hand man, Semmi; Shari Headley as Lisa McDowell, the love interest who Akeem courts in the original film; and John Amos as her father, owner of fast-food joint McDowell’s (not to be confused with the inferior McDonald’s).

Brewer just finished directing Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore alongside Chris Rock, Keegan- Michael Key, and Wesley Snipes in the biopic Dolemite Is My Name, coming to Netflix this year. Hopefully, Brewer’s vision will have our souls glowing as beautifully as director John Landis did in the OG.