Leslie Jones and Kiki Layne have joined the cast of Coming 2 America.
The “Saturday Night Live” star and the If Beale Street Could Talk actress, are the latest to join actor Eddie Murphy in the sequel to 1988’s Coming to America.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Layne will play the daughter of Murphy’s character Prince Akeem, who is “burdened with feeling like she is the son her father never had,” while Leslie’s role is being kept under wraps.
In the sequel, Murphy is to reprise his role as Prince Akeem, a prince from the fictional African nation of Zamunda who travels to New York to try to escape an arranged marriage and find a wife.
The new film — which will see Arsenio Hall return as Akeem’s best friend — follows the prince as he returns to the US to try to track down his long-lost son, Lavelle, who grew up in Queens in New York.
The quest to find his son is the wish of his dying father, who will once again be played by James Earl Jones.
Also joining the cast is Wesley Snipes, who will play a new character, General Izzi.
Craig Brewer will direct the project for Paramount, and Murphy will produce alongside Kevin Misher and Kenya Barris.
In January, Murphy said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly: “After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward. We’ve assembled a great team that will be led by Craig Brewer, who just did an amazing job on Dolemite Is My Name, and I’m looking forward to bringing all these classic and beloved characters back to the big screen.”
Barris added: “Craig’s ability to create a distinct cinematic world with each of his films is not only impressive but also what made him exactly the voice and vision we needed to bring this story to life.
“From Hustle & Flow to his work with Eddie on Dolemite Is My Name, he never fails to blow me away. He is a true auteur and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him on board.”
Coming 2 America is set for release on December 18, 2020.
