10 Things People May Not Know About The Movie 'Coming To America'

Who doesn't remember the classic movie, 'Coming to America?' The 1988 blockbuster comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, John Amos, Shari Headley, and several star cameos was a massive hit. It cost $36 million to make, grossing triple that amount earning more than $288 million worldwide at the box office.

Murphy plays, Prince Akeem of the African nation Zumunda. His lavish lifestyle has become boring and as his 21st birthday nears, he wants to be more independent. When his parents King Jaffe and Queen Aoleon present him with an arranged bride-to-be, Akeem speaks out. He tells his parents he could never be happy with a woman he doesn't love and wants to set out on his own and find his wife.

So, Akeem and his trusted aid/friend Semmi are off to find her in Queens, New York! They embark on a mission to live the 'normal' life and find everything but...the hood. The movie takes viewers on a wild and crazy ride as Akeem and Semmi get themselves into one hilarious predicament after the other. It's one of those movies you can never get tired of watching. Though many of us could probably remember every scene, the film has an interesting backstory.

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Here are 10 Things People May Not Know About The Movie 'Coming To America':

1.) THE MOVIE'S DIRECTOR JOHN LANDIS, AND EDDIE MURPHY DIDN'T GET ALONG THE FIRST TIME THEY WORKED TOGETHER

John Landis had worked with Eddi Murphy on the hit comedy 'Trading Places.' At the time, he and Eddie didn't get along, with Landis openly complaining that Eddie had a big ego. But they overcame their differences five years later to film 'Coming To America.' They would team up to make more movie magic with Beverly Hills Cop III.

The movie also featured two central characters from 'Trading Places' with wealthy brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke. The Dukes lost everything betting against Billy Ray Valentine in Trading Places and became homeless themselves. However, the impoverished brothers find redemption after receiving a bag of money from Prince Akeem in 'Coming To America.' In that scene, Randolph proclaims, “Mortimer, we’re back!”

2.) A FILMMAKER ACCUSED PARAMOUNT OF STEALING HIS IDEA

Shortly after the movie premiered, filmmaker and writer Art Buchwald accused Paramount Pictures of stealing the storyline from a movie script he worked on in 1982. Buchwald sued Paramount and won! He was awarded damages and then accepted a settlement from Paramount to avoid an appeal. To this day, Eddie Murphy is listed as the sole writer of the film.

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3.) IT WAS THE FIRST MOVIE MURPHY PLAYED MULTIPLE CHARACTERS IN

Coming to America featured Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem, beauty competition singer Randy "Sexual Chocolate" Watson, Clarence the barber, and Jewish barbershop customer Saul. Hall starred as Semmi and also spent hours in the makeup chair to become the honorable Reverend Brown, Morris the second barber, and the manly woman Semmi and Akeem interviewed in the bar scene.

4.) THE MOVIE WAS ALMOST MADE INTO A TV SERIES

Murphy and Paramount Pictures wanted to do a spin-off 'Coming to America' centered around Akeems younger brother Prince Tariq (played by Tommy Davidson) who was sent to America to attend college. They were talking to CBS in hopes of turning the movie into a weekly TV series that would launch in 1989. Only one pilot episode was filmed and it didn't get a good response, so they scrapped the show.

5.) PAULA ABDUL CREATED THE CHOREOGRAPHY THE WEDDING IN ZAMUNDA

Legendary dance choreographer/singer/songwriter, Paula Abdul was already acquainted with Murphy and Hall, season ticket holders for the Lakers. She was only 18 years old holding down a Laker's dancing gig and doing all the choreography for Janet Jackson. One day she got a call from 'Coming to America' director, John Landis who wanted to meet Janet's choreographer for a possible job on a scene in the movie. Abdul recounted in a 2019 interview with Yahoo! “And I just remember coming in very businesslike with a briefcase that all I had in it was my taped Laker Girl routines and Janet Jackson’s — a couple of her videos, that was it. But I remember [thinking], ‘This could be really exciting.’”

6.) MCDOWELL'S WAS A WENDY'S, NOT A MCDONALD'S

Cleo McDowell played by John Amos, had a restaurant that bore an uncanny resemblance to McDonald's. This of course was intentional and was approved by the food chain to be portrayed in the movie. Ironically, filming for the McDowell’s restaurant took place at a real Wendy's restaurant located in New York on Queens Boulevard. Sadly, the restaurant closed in 2013 and the building was demolished to make way for a luxury apartment building.

7.) FAMILY MEMBERS OF MURPHY AND HALL APPEAR IN THE MOVIE
Murphy's uncle Ray Murphy Sr. played the drunk who fell down the stairs at the ratchet apartment complex Akeem and Semi were moving into. The brothers of both Murphy and Hall were featured in cameos at the basketball game. Vondie Curtis-Hall and Vernon Lynch Zamunda natives recognized Prince Akeem standing in the bathroom line.

8.) LOUIE ANDERSON WAS GIVEN A ROLE TO APPEASE EXECS AT PARAMOUNT STUDIOS

Murphy and Hall said Paramount Pictures execs insisted a white person had to be in the movie. During an interview on the Today show, Murphy recounted “I was like, ‘Really?’ So I was like, ‘Who’s the funniest white guy around and a friend of mine? Oh, Louie’s perfect!’ And that's how Louie ended up in the movie.

9.) JAMES EARL JONES AND MADGE SINCLAIR GOT THEIR ROLES IN 'THE LION KING' FROM THE FILM

James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair performed suitably regal as Zamunda’s King Jaffe Joffer and Queen Aoleon. Hollywood execs, were so impressed with their characters that Jones and Sinclair were asked to reunite for the 1994 animated blockbuster voicing the iconic roles of King Mufasa, and Queen Sarabi.

10.) THE MOVIE MARKED THE FILM DEBUT OF FOUR ACTORS