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Coming to America

  • 19881988
  • RR
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
205K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,708
4
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (1988)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:39
9 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Romance

An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.

IMDb RATING
7.1/10
205K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,708
4
  • Director
    • John Landis
  • Writers
    • Eddie Murphy(story)
    • David Sheffield(screenplay)
    • Barry W. Blaustein(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Eddie Murphy
    • Paul Bates
    • Garcelle Beauvais
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Landis
  • Writers
    • Eddie Murphy(story)
    • David Sheffield(screenplay)
    • Barry W. Blaustein(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Eddie Murphy
    • Paul Bates
    • Garcelle Beauvais
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 250User reviews
    • 96Critic reviews
    • 47Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 5 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos9

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:39
    Official Trailer
    Coming to America
    Trailer 1:48
    Coming to America
    Coming to America
    Trailer 2:41
    Coming to America
    Coming to America
    Trailer 2:42
    Coming to America
    The Essential Films of Eddie Murphy to Stream Now
    Clip 3:31
    The Essential Films of Eddie Murphy to Stream Now
    What '80s Movie Characters Should 'Bumblebee' Go on Adventure With?
    Clip 1:15
    What '80s Movie Characters Should 'Bumblebee' Go on Adventure With?
    What We Know About 'Coming 2 America' ... So Far
    Video 4:05
    What We Know About 'Coming 2 America' ... So Far
    Regina King on Her Funniest Co-star of All Time
    Video 1:57
    Regina King on Her Funniest Co-star of All Time

    Photos137

    Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)
    Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)
    Allison Dean in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)
    Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (1988)
    Arsenio Hall in Coming to America (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Eddie Murphy
    Eddie Murphy
    • Prince Akeemas Prince Akeem…
    Paul Bates
    Paul Bates
    • Ohaas Oha
    Garcelle Beauvais
    Garcelle Beauvais
    • Rose Beareras Rose Bearer
    Feather
    • Rose Beareras Rose Bearer
    Stephanie Simon
    • Rose Beareras Rose Bearer
    Victoria Dillard
    Victoria Dillard
    • Batheras Bather…
    Felicia Taylor
    • Batheras Bather
    Midori
    • Batheras Bather
    • (as Michele Watley)
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • King Jaffe Jofferas King Jaffe Joffer
    Madge Sinclair
    Madge Sinclair
    • Queen Aoleonas Queen Aoleon
    Sheila Johnson
    Sheila Johnson
    • Lady-in-Waitingas Lady-in-Waiting
    Arsenio Hall
    Arsenio Hall
    • Semmias Semmi…
    Raymond D. Turner
    • T-Shirt Hawkeras T-Shirt Hawker
    Calvin Lockhart
    Calvin Lockhart
    • Colonel Izzias Colonel Izzi
    Billi Gordon
    • Large Womanas Large Woman
    Vanessa Bell Calloway
    Vanessa Bell Calloway
    • Imani Izzias Imani Izzi
    • (as Vanessa Bell)
    Jake Steinfeld
    Jake Steinfeld
    • Cab Driveras Cab Driver
    Cuba Gooding Jr.
    Cuba Gooding Jr.
    • Boy Getting Haircutas Boy Getting Haircut
    • Director
      • John Landis
    • Writers
      • Eddie Murphy(story)
      • David Sheffield(screenplay)
      • Barry W. Blaustein(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Immersed in luxury and riches, courteous Prince Akeem, the refined heir apparent to Africa's prosperous kingdom of Zamunda, summons up the courage to reject an arranged marriage proposal on his twenty-first birthday. As a result, bent on finding true love, the young blue blood finds himself in the strange urban jungle of New York City's Queens. Now, to mask his regal descent, Akeem, and his trusted valet, Semmi, have to pose as humble exchange students, doing their best to mingle with their neighbours. But, more than anything in the world, the noble bachelor yearns to be loved for who he is, and not for his title. Is Prince Akeem destined to find his soulmate in America's bustling Big Apple? —Nick Riganas
    • janitor
    • new york city
    • wedding
    • robber
    • 1980s
    • 180 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Eddie Murphy is Prince Akeem......Coming to America.
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After the make-up and clothing was applied for the Jewish character Saul, Eddie Murphy wanted to test the make-up and costume out. He got a golf cart and drove from one studio department to another in Paramount Studios. He would get out of the cart and say in his regular voice, "Hi. I'm Eddie Murphy." No one believed him.
    • Goofs
      (at around 33 mins) When Akeem goes to get his ponytail cut, the stand-in for Saul is visible in the mirror.
    • Quotes

      Prince Akeem: [shouting from the outside fire escape of his apartment in a rough part of Queens, New York] Good morning, my neighbors!

      Voice: Hey, fuck you!

      Prince Akeem: [blissfully ignorant of what this means] Yes! Yes! Fuck you too!

    • Crazy credits
      The "thanks" list in the closing credits lists the fictitious Zamundan Film Commission.
    • Connections
      Edited into Yoostar 2: In the Movies (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Coming To America
      Written by Nile Rodgers and Nancy Huang

      Performed by The System

      Produced by Nile Rodgers, Mic Murphy, and David Frank

    User reviews250

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Murphy and Hall shine
    It must take a lot of hard work to play multi characters film,and the hard work of Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall really pay off.They take a very unique idea for a film,play most of the characters in it,and the results are nothing short of hilarious.Murphy plays (among others), Prince Akeem of Zumunda.Akeem,discouraged with the arranged marriage tradition of his beloved country,seeks to find the true meaning of love in America.The typical fish out of water style here is worked to perfection by Murphy,as well as Hall.Also excellent are James Earl Jones(as always),and Madge Sinclair as King Jaffe and Queen Aoleon, Akeem's parents.Jones and Sinclair would later portray husband and wife again 6 years later,as the parents of Simba in The Lion King,a little trivia for those of you who may not have known.There is a clever tie-in involving Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy,portraying their characters from another Murphy film,Trading Places.A unique story,great character acting and a great supporting cast make Coming to America great fun to watch.
    helpful•48
    13
    • SmileysWorld
    • Apr 13, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 29, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Quest
    • Filming locations
      • Queens Boulevard, Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Eddie Murphy Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $128,152,301
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $21,404,420
      • Jul 4, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $288,752,301
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
      • Dolby Atmos
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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