In a year that’s seen Paramount unload both The Trial of the Chicago 7 and the action-comedy Lovebirds to streamers, the studio has now sold the upcoming sequel Coming 2 America to Amazon in a deal worth roughly $125 million.
Due to the ongoing movie theater closures across the globe which has seen countless blockbusters shift release dates, sources said Paramount had explored numerous options on how to release Coming 2 America, which was originally planned to open on Christmas Day. They even explored selling the rights to Viacom’s own streamer CBS All Access, all before settling on this deal with Amazon.
The deal also sees marketing tie-ins with McDonald’s and whisky brand Crown Royal transfer over to Amazon Studios. This impressive deal is reportedly a priority for Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke, who has been on the hunt for more commercial entertainment for its streaming service.
In this sequel to the classic 1988 comedy, Prince Akeem (Murphy) is just about to take on the role of king of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America, a Queens native named Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler). In an attempt to honor the former king’s dying wish, Akeem and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) set off to America to groom his grandson as the crown prince.
SEE ALSO: Eddie Murphy says Coming to America sequel will be PG-13
Coming 2 America reteams Murphy with his Dolemite director Craig Brewer, and features the return of original cast members Arsenio Hall (Semmi), James Earl Jones (King Jaffe Joffer), Paul Bates (Oha) and John Amos (Cleo McDowell) as well as new additions Wesley Snipes (Blade), Rick Ross (Uncle Drew), Jermaine Fowler (Sorry to Bother You), Leslie Jones (Ghostbusters), KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk), Tracy Morgan (The Last OG) and R&B star Rotimi (Power).
