Good morning, my neighbors! Fans of Coming to America have waited 32 years for a sequel but the wait will be over soon, as Amazon has finally confirmed a deal for the Eddie Murphy comedy Coming 2 America, which will debut on Prime Video on March 5.

Craig Brewer (Dolemite Is My Name) directed the sequel, which follows newly-crowned King Akeem (Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) as they embark on a new adventure that takes them around the world, from the great African nation of Zamunda to the borough of Queens, New York -- where it all began.

The sequel brings back James Earl Jones (King Jaffe Joffer), Shari Headley (Queen Lisa), John Amos (Cleo McDowell) and Louie Anderson (Maurice), as well as the motley barbershop crew. But it's the new additions to the cast that are sure to get people talking, as Wesley Snipes will join comedians Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan and Jermaine Fowler, plus KiKi Layne, Teyana Taylor, Nomzamo Mbatha and Power star Rotimi. The ensemble also includes Eddie's 18-year-old daughter Bella Murphy, who makes her feature acting debut here.

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Image via Paramount Pictures

Coming 2 America was made by Paramount Pictures in association with New Republic Pictures, and Brewer directed from a script by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield. Blaustein, Sheffield and Justin Kanew have story credits on the sequel, which is based on characters created by Eddie Murphy, who also produced under his eponymous banner alongside Kevin Misher of Misher Films. The film was executive produced by Brian Oliver, Bradley Fischer, Valerii An, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Michele Imperato Stabile, Andy Berman and Barris.

Coming to America was a cultural phenomenon that is one of the most loved and celebrated comedies of all time. Thanks to Eddie Murphy’s comedic genius along with the brilliant filmmakers, writers and fabulous cast, we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this new adventure," said Amazon's Jennifer Salke. "We know audiences around the world will fall in love with this hilarious, joyful movie that will surely become a timeless favorite.”

“What could be better than a return to Zamunda? We are so excited for Amazon Studios to bring Eddie Murphy and Coming 2 America to a worldwide audience where they can laugh again with characters they have loved for 30 years, and meet new ones that they will love for years to come,” added Misher.

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Image via Paramount Pictures

John Landis directed 1988's Coming to America, which grossed nearly $290 million worldwide. What's interesting about that is that while most major comedies make the majority of their money at the domestic box office, Coming to America took in $160 million overseas, so that was a movie that resonated across the globe. Of course, that was the Eddie Murphy of the '80s, when he was one of the hottest entertainers on Earth, but millions of people still love Eddie and have genuine affection for that first film.

As such, I'm very curious how Coming 2 America might have performed at the box office outside of a global pandemic, but unfortunately, we'll never know. What's interesting about this release date though is that the sequel had been slated to arrive in theaters on Dec. 18 in time for the holidays, which would've made it eligible for this year's Golden Globes. I'll admit that part of me wonders if Amazon waited to see what Warner Bros, would do with Wonder Woman 1984, which will begin streaming Christmas Day on HBO Max, with Pixar's Soul debuting on Disney+ the same day. It's also possible that it simply took a while for Amazon to close this deal (I was surprised the streamer hadn't confirmed before today), and cut it too close in terms of mounting a proper marketing campaign before the holidays. The company will have to remind audiences what they loved about the original, while introducing these characters to a new generation.

In case you need a reminder of Murphy's worth to a streaming service, check out our list of the Top 10 Netflix Movies of 2019, and click here to see where Murphy ranks on the list of the 30 highest-grossing actors of all time.