A film project that was already fairly “Huh, really?” got even “Huh, really?”-er today, as THR reports that Wesley Snipes has signed on to co-star in Coming 2 America. The Eddie Murphy/Arsenio Hall sequel—a 31-years-later follow-up to the odyssey of Prince Akeem, Soul Glo, and the McDowell’s restaurant dynasty—is being directed by Craig Brewer, best known for Hustle And Flow. (The original was directed by John Landis, although, infamously, not without a great deal of friction between himself and Murphy on the set.)
Snipes—who worked with Murphy and Brewer on the upcoming Rudy Ray Moore biopic, Dolemite Is My Name—will reportedly play General Izzi, a man who runs a country near Akeem’s fictional land of Zamunda. (At long last, we said to ourselves, a Coming To America willing to truly engage with the nuances of African power politics and strongmen military leaders!) Meanwhile, Akeem himself will be, well, returning to the States—there’s gotta be a catchier, more Neil Diamond-y phrase for that, right?—in pursuit of his long-lost son. The film is currently aimed at an August 7, 2020 release date.