The article “The most hilarious comedies, from ‘Coming to America’ to ‘Ghostbusters,’ had a dark side: book” by Larry Getlen (16 May 2019, New York Post) quotes several anecdotes from Nick de Semlyen’s upcoming book “Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the ’80s Changed Hollywood Forever” (Crown Archetype, out May 28).

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Of particular relevance is this part:

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While that particular feud was not his doing, Murphy caused plenty of drama, according to de Semlyen.

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His much-loved “Coming to America” (1988), which is getting a sequel in 2020, starred Murphy as an African prince who comes to America to find his queen.

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The biggest star in Hollywood at the time, he chose his “Trading Places” (1983) director, John Landis, to helm the movie.

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But the joy we see on screen was not replicated on the troubled set.

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“Eddie was such a monster star now, and it was different,” Landis says in the book. “He had lost the sparkle. He could summon it forth and still be incredibly creative and brilliant, but he was dark on that movie.”

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The schedule for the filming was shorter than what Landis felt was needed — a dance-off on a New York street involving Murphy, Michael Jackson and Prince was scrapped.

.

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As it turns out, this has been mentioned before: “11 things you didn’t know about Coming To America“ (26 June 2018, VirginMedia):

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5 - It almost starred Michael Jackson… and Prince

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When the movie went into production, there was a plan to include a cameo-studded scene in which Akeem has a dance-off in a New York street with both Michael Jackson (whose Thriller video had been directed by John Landis) and Prince. However, thanks to a very tight filming schedule, it proved too ambitious to pull off.

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EmmaMcG said:

I'm glad it never happened. That movie is perfect as it is.

yes! In fact I'm going to put it on now.

Nick de Semlyen points to the book “Fatal Subtraction: The Inside Story of Buchwald V. Paramount” by Pierce O’Donnell and Dennis McDougal (Doubleday, 1992) as his source.

bullshit, prince would have never agreed to it.

BartVanHemelen said:

The article “The most hilarious comedies, from ‘Coming to America’ to ‘Ghostbusters,’ had a dark side: book” by Larry Getlen (16 May 2019, New York Post) quotes several anecdotes from Nick de Semlyen’s upcoming book “Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the ’80s Changed Hollywood Forever” (Crown Archetype, out May 28).

.

Of particular relevance is this part:

.

While that particular feud was not his doing, Murphy caused plenty of drama, according to de Semlyen.

.

His much-loved “Coming to America” (1988), which is getting a sequel in 2020, starred Murphy as an African prince who comes to America to find his queen.

.

The biggest star in Hollywood at the time, he chose his “Trading Places” (1983) director, John Landis, to helm the movie.

.

But the joy we see on screen was not replicated on the troubled set.

.

“Eddie was such a monster star now, and it was different,” Landis says in the book. “He had lost the sparkle. He could summon it forth and still be incredibly creative and brilliant, but he was dark on that movie.”

.

The schedule for the filming was shorter than what Landis felt was needed — a dance-off on a New York street involving Murphy, Michael Jackson and Prince was scrapped.

.

.

As it turns out, this has been mentioned before: “11 things you didn’t know about Coming To America“ (26 June 2018, VirginMedia):

.

5 - It almost starred Michael Jackson… and Prince

.

When the movie went into production, there was a plan to include a cameo-studded scene in which Akeem has a dance-off in a New York street with both Michael Jackson (whose Thriller video had been directed by John Landis) and Prince. However, thanks to a very tight filming schedule, it proved too ambitious to pull off.

.

PeteSilas said:

bullshit, prince would have never agreed to it.

Well, they never said either party agreed to it. They said it was their plan to try and make it happen. But I agree with the overall opinion that the movie is perfect as is.

Interesting! But I doubt Prince ever would have signed on for that... Remember this?

purplethunder3121 said:

Interesting! But I doubt Prince ever would have signed on for that... Remember this?

Yea! After James & Mj sabotaged that rehearsed setup to make Prince(r.i.p.) look bad..

But this WHOLE clip is SO heartbreaking to me. They're ALL gone now.

I'm caling bullshit on this one.

Coming To America 2 Delayed Four Months to December 2020
by Mike Jones • May 08, 2019 • Screen Rant

Coming to America 2 has been delayed four months to December 2020. As the 1980s drew to a close, few comedians could match what Eddie Murphy had accomplished during the decade. Having gone from SNL to cinema in a big way, Murphy built up a reputation as an often foul-mouthed but otherwise hilarious Hollywood star.

Though there have been numerous titles in Murphy’s lengthy career that fans love and can’t get enough of, it's perhaps 1988’s Coming to America that's remained one of the comedian’s most widely appreciated hits. Often overshadowed by the likes of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise or even Murphy’s later work in The Nutty Professor films, Coming to America marked the first time that fans could watch Murphy lose himself in a variety of different characters - something that he would later become known for in a handful of films like the aforementioned Nutty Professor series, Bowfinger and Norbit. In fact, it was Coming to America’s characters and feel good tone that's played a major part in the film being the fan favorite that it is today.

As fans of Murphy and Coming to America will likely know, a sequel to the 1988 hit has been on its way since 2017. Now, however, Deadline is reporting that the film’s release has experienced a slight setback, with Paramount bumping the release date four months from August 7, 2020 to December 18, 2020. The move reportedly comes after Paramount decided to give the August 7 date to director Antoine Fuqua’s Infinite, an adaptation of the novel, The Reincarnation Papers.

This switching of release dates may irritate some, but Paramount just might be making the smarter move here. The Reincarnation Papers stars Chris Evans and deals with the character of Evan Michaels, a man who can recall his past lives and discovers a secret society called the Cognomina, whose members all possess the same skill. The Cognomina’s members have been agents of change throughout history and Michaels sets his sights on joining the centuries old organization. Compared to Coming to America 2, Infinite sounds like the kind of popcorn movie that does well during the summer season, while Coming to America’s sentimentality and feel good vibe might be better received in December, when festive spirits are in full swing for many. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Coming to America 2 will possess the same tone or sentimentality as its predecessor, but given the film’s rumored storyline regarding Prince Akeem’s long lost son, the potential for an emotional journey is high.

What’s perhaps more concerning for fans than a bump back in the release date is whether or not this will be a sequel worth waiting for. As fans of older hit films are well aware, a modern day sequel doesn’t always land on its feet. There are numerous reasons why a Coming to America sequel might not work, yet at the same time, there’s also no discernible reason why Murphy and company can’t pull off a Coming to America 2 that does just what a good sequel should: entertain those who've been waiting for it and explore the characters in a new and hilarious way.

ChocolateBox3121 said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Interesting! But I doubt Prince ever would have signed on for that... Remember this?

Yea! After James & Mj sabotaged that rehearsed setup to make Prince(r.i.p.) look bad..

But this WHOLE clip is SO heartbreaking to me. They're ALL gone now.

Your Prince fandom is over the top dude. Not healthy.

The SNL Youtube channel just uploaded this old Stevie & Frank Sinatra skit

ChocolateBox3121 said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Interesting! But I doubt Prince ever would have signed on for that... Remember this?

Yea! After James & Mj sabotaged that rehearsed setup to make Prince(r.i.p.) look bad..

But this WHOLE clip is SO heartbreaking to me. They're ALL gone now.

[Edited 7/14/19 22:47pm]

phunkdaddy said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Yea! After James & Mj sabotaged that rehearsed setup to make Prince(r.i.p.) look bad..

But this WHOLE clip is SO heartbreaking to me. They're ALL gone now.

Your Prince fandom is over the top dude. Not healthy.

It's nothing wrong with being loyal.

ChocolateBox3121 said:

phunkdaddy said:

Your Prince fandom is over the top dude. Not healthy.

It's nothing wrong with being loyal.

It's not about being loyal but about not making up stuff/lying like you do.

JorisE73 said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

It's nothing wrong with being loyal.

It's not about being loyal but about not making up stuff/lying like you do.

I don't LIE or make up ANYTHING!

JorisE73 said: