In an interview with
Rolling Stone, the Laker Girl-turned-pop star listed her
Coming to America scene as one of the top moments of her choreography career. “This was one of my moments of having to really prove myself, because I was still pretty new in my career as a choreographer,” Abdul said. “John Landis, the director, wanted the person that choreographed Janet Jackson. I was still a Laker Girl. I went in and he looked at me and said, What are you, a teenager? And I said, Yes, I am! He basically was telling me, What do you know about African dancing? And this is my whole thing when becoming a choreographer: I ll just tell everyone yes, I know exactly what I m doing, and then I ll figure it out later. ”
Movie theaters are slowly reopening, but most of the new releases are headed to streaming services rather than the big screen. Whether you're staying at
Q&A: Eddie Murphy is back in Zamunda, and Queens, in ‘Coming 2 America’
By Ed Symkus
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It’s taken a little longer than usual for a box office smash to beget a sequel. In “Coming to America,” Eddie Murphy played Prince Akeem, from the African kingdom of Zamunda a man hoping to find a wife in Queens.
That film was released in 1988. Now, 33 years later, Akeem, and quite a few of the characters around him (many of them played by Murphy and many others by his co-star Arsenio Hall), return in “Coming 2 America,” with a story and another visit to America that picks up 33 years after the first.
âComing 2 Americaâ brings much-needed comic relief during tough movie season By Mark Greczmiel | March 5, 2021 at 10:55 AM EST - Updated March 5 at 11:25 AM
Thereâs always a bit of nervous apprehension when actors try to revisit a favorite old character. Do people care? Is there anything new they can do with the role? Or are they just doing it for the money?
Eddie Murphy has enjoyed success with fairly quick sequels to Nutty Professor and Beverly Hills Cop, although the tired third installment featuring Detective Axel Foley was one movie too many. Now, 33 years after the release of the romantic comedy hit Coming to America, Murphy is bringing back one his best characters Prince Akeem of Zamunda and the verdict is a big thumbs up.