Coming 2 America Trailer 2 Breakdown: Every New Story Reveal

The Coming 2 America trailer gives fans of Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s classic 1988 comedy a proper look at the sequel. The film’s ensemble cast is on full display in the trailer, from original characters like Akeem (Murphy), Semmi (Hall), Queen Lisa (Shari Headley) and King Jaffe (James Earl Jones) to new faces like Akeem’s son Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler) and his mother (Leslie Jones). Coming 2 America is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on March 5.

The original Coming to America was a smash hit from Hall and Murphy, both of whom were at the peak of their careers when it released in theaters. The film gave both of them a chance to stretch comedically, with Hall and Murphy playing multiple characters each, and their onscreen chemistry was a huge part of the movie’s success. Reviews for Coming to America weren’t all glowing when it released (though it received an overall positive critical reception), but the comedic prowess of its leads led to big numbers at the box office and a dedicated following that has never dissipated.

Since Coming 2 America was officially announced, fans of the original have waited excitedly to see Hall, Murphy, and the rest of the old cast be joined by a new star-studded ensemble. Murphy has made a major return to the big screen over the past two years after an extended absence from the limelight, and it should be exciting and hilarious to see him reprise one of his most beloved characters.

Coming 2 America Will Mostly Take Place In Zamunda

The Coming 2 America trailer begins with King Akeem and his best friend Semmi travelling back to New York City in search of Akeem’s son, Lavelle. The duo seem to quickly find Lavelle and his mother, and the four fly back to Zamunda together along with Lavelle’s uncle (Tracy Morgan). Going by the trailer, it seems the New York scenes will mostly act as an introduction to the sequel’s story, with the majority of Coming 2 America taking place in Zamunda itself.

That’s an exciting move for a few reasons; it means the sequel will get to build off the originals core tone and characters, but in a largely new setting with lots of potential for great original comedy and fun new character dynamics. Comedy sequels often fall short because they retread the same jokes and circumstances that made their predecessors successful, rather than building original material. Hopefully, the move from a primarily American setting to Zamunda will help Coming 2 America avoid that trap and deliver new material.

Akeem Has Dangerous Enemies In Zamunda

Wesley Snipes’ new character, General Izzi, appears in the new Coming 2 America trailer in a major way, seemingly being set up as the film’s villain. There are references to Izzi wanting to overthrow Akeem and the rest of the royal family to rule Zamunda himself, and one shot even shows him shooting a giant portrait of Akeem with a machine gun in front of a group of his followers.

Given the genre, it’s unlikely Izzi’s antagonism will be much more than dark comedy for most of the movie, but the presence of a threatening villain character is still a new wrinkle to the story. Snipes is perfect for the role, and hopefully he’ll have some good moments on screen with Murphy. At the very least, a major threat like Izzi could introduce any number of interesting situations for the Joffer family to deal with. Izzi is also the older brother of Imani Izzi (Vanessa Bell Calloway) – the woman Akeem was arranged to marry in the original film before leaving for America and falling in love with Lisa. That plot point alone builds in plenty of history between the two to spark tension, even without the political element of things.

Akeem’s Daughter Wants To Rule Zamunda

One major point brought up in the Coming 2 America trailer is that Akeem’s daughter Meeka (KiKi Layne) has grown up hoping, and somewhat expecting, to take the throne of Zamunda one day. Meeka is the eldest of Akeem and Lisa’s children, but the traditional customs of Zamunda state that a woman cannot rule the nation. The old king Jaffe is strict on this point, which is why he sends Akeem back to New York City in the first place.

The dynamic between Meeka and Lavelle and their different relationships with Akeem appear to be at the center of the story. Akeem will have to decide whether it makes more sense to stick with the traditional, patriarchal ways of his father and the royal tradition, or to instead move in a more progressive direction and make Meeka his heir. Lisa is clearly on the sign of feminist progress in the Coming 2 America trailer, and it’s inevitable Akeem will be won over to more modern thinking as well over the course of the film.

Coming 2 America is still a comedy, first and foremost, but it’s refreshing to see more complex themes of patriarchal culture, tradition, feminism, and complicated family dynamics all be alluded to in the trailer. In the end, Coming 2 America will certainly rely on its laughs, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also have something to say. It remains to be seen exactly what that will be.

Coming 2 America Flips The Original Story

Everything shown of Coming 2 America so far, especially in the trailer, suggests the sequel is really a flip of the original Coming to America story. By spending most of its screen time in Zamunda and bringing Lavelle and his family there to live, the Coming 2 America story looks to be an inverse of the original, with Lavelle being the fish out of water that Akeem was in the first movie. Like the change of scenery, that’s a promising move for Coming 2 America. It keeps the spirit of the original story but turns it on its head, in a way that should, hopefully, be compelling for old and new fans alike.

About The Author

Rick Stevenson
(1221 Articles Published)

Rick Stevenson is a writer, editor and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s written on TV, film and games for over six years, in addition to assorted stints in bookselling, carpentry, and TV production. Rick studied writing at the College of William & Mary and Oxford University, and can report with some authority that they are both old. He lives and dies for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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