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Coming to America (1988)

Trailer
2:39 | Trailer

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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 will.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Eddie Murphy (story), David Sheffield (screenplay) | 1 more credit »
Reviews
Popularity
1,291 ( 398)
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Bates ... Oha
Eddie Murphy ... Prince Akeem / Clarence / Saul / Randy Watson
Garcelle Beauvais ... Rose Bearer
Feather Feather ... Rose Bearer
Stephanie Simon Stephanie Simon ... Rose Bearer
Victoria Dillard ... Bather / Dancer
Felicia Taylor Felicia Taylor ... Bather
Midori Midori ... Bather (as Michele Watley)
James Earl Jones ... King Jaffe Joffer
Madge Sinclair ... Queen Aoleon
Sheila Johnson ... Lady-in-Waiting
Arsenio Hall ... Semmi / Morris / Extremely Ugly Girl / Reverend Brown
Raymond D. Turner Raymond D. Turner ... T-Shirt Hawker
Calvin Lockhart ... Colonel Izzi
Billi Gordon Billi Gordon ... Large Woman
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Storyline

It is the 21st birthday of Prince Akeem of Zamunda and he is to marry a woman he never saw before. Now the prince breaks with tradition and travels to America to look for the love of his life. Written by Harald Mayr <marvin@bike.augusta.de>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Eddie Murphy is Prince Akeem......Coming to America. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 1988 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Quest See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$39,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$128,152,300

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$160,600,000
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The trailer was narrated by Percy Rodrigues. See more »

Goofs

(at around 13 mins) At the wedding scene at the beginning of the movie, and when the camera pans down to the throne. A woman in double denim can be seen standing in the back next to a guard on the left side. This has to be a crew member since that the clothes she wearing does not match the rest of the guest, and the fact that she is standing very close to the royal family. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Rose Bearer: Good morning, Your Highness.
Oha: Happy birthday, Your Highness.
Prince Akeem: [thinks] Yes, it *is* my birthday.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The camera moves over the Paramount Pictures logo to reveal the Kingdom of Zamunda. The opening credits are then set in a pan across the country's landscapes to the Zamunda palace and to the Prince's bedroom. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Daymaker (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

You're A Wonderful One
Written by Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland), Lamont Dozier,
and Brian Holland
Performed by Marvin Gaye
Produced by Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland), Lamont Dozier & Brian Holland
Courtesy of Motown Recording Corporation
See more »

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User Reviews

Royal Laughs
28 February 2003 | by george.schmidtSee all my reviews

COMING TO AMERICA (1988) *** Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, John Amos, Eriq La Salle, Louie Anderson. Murphy does a fine job as an African prince unhappy about his upcoming nuptials to a woman he has never met so he sets off to New York to find his true love (and queen) with some sweet moments as well as comic (thanks largely to his and Hall's neat hat trick of playing several different characters thanks to the miracle of Rick Baker's make up). Look sharply for Vondie Curtis Hall (of tv's "Chicago Hope") as an overly welcoming fellow native stateside; Cuba Gooding Jr. in a blink-and-you'll miss cameo (getting a haircut) and the clever inserting of Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy as the Randolph Brothers from Murphy's and director John Landis' previous joint effort "Trading Places". Best bit: Murphy becoming a real New Yorker and greeting a screaming abusive neighbor with "Yes! Yes! ... and F**K YOU TOO!!!"


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