About a month ago and surprising shake up was happening. The last vestiges of 2020 holiday theatrical were moseying on to less Covid-19 effected pastures. Among the films was Coming 2 America, which was supposedly in talks with Amazon, to get the film in front of the most eyes possible. The second rumor attached, was that the film would be out before Christmas, striking a great opportunity for people to celebrate the holiday with a big new film. Today, most of that still stands, with a wrinkle or two.
In a press release Amazon made it official that Coming 2 America is now under their banner. Amazon Prime Video will launch the film globally, which is cause for much excitement. The trade off, is that it won’t be making its way into your home, until 2021. March 5, to be exact. It’s a small price to pay (depending on how you get your subscription), all things considered. Given that previous negotiation talks involved working out deals with tie-in companies McDonald’s and Crown Royal, the fact that we’re getting this at all, is astonishing.
“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 Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, in a press release. “We know audiences around the world will fall in love with this hilarious, joyful movie that will surely become a timeless favorite.”
If you haven’t read the synopsis already, here’s your chance:
“Set after the events of the first film, former Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street savvy Queens native named Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler).”
The main fact here is that Coming 2 America is indeed going to be available to everyone, in a very attractive package. Amazon Prime hasn’t been the most active, when it comes to getting into the bidding wars to give big films a new home. This move shows they’re willing to gamble, when the picture is big enough. It also isn’t likely to be the final move the company makes. There’s more than a few rumors currently circulating that other “spring titles” are looking to jump from theatrical to streaming. Regardless of what comes next, set an alert for March 5, 2021, when you can check out the continuing adventures of Akeem & company.
