Shari Headley will reunite with Eddie Murphy in the Coming to America sequel, where she will reprise her role as Lisa McDowell, his love interest and eventual wife.
The new film — which will see Arsenio Hall return as Akeem’s best friend — will see the prince head back to the U.S. to try to track down a son he never knew about, a street-savvy Queens, New York, native named Lavelle.
Following his dying father’s wishes, Akeem will try to find the young man and groom him to be the next prince of Zamunda as he himself ascends to the throne as king.
Craig Brewer will direct the project for Paramount, and Murphy will produce alongside Kevin Misher and Kenya Barris.
Murphy previously said in a statement: “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.”
James Earl Jones is also returning for the sequel, while Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones and Kiki Layne have all joined the cast.
Coming 2 America is set for a Dec. 18, 2020, release.