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Eddie Murphy at Golden Globes

Source: Bob Riha Jr / Getty

Before Eddie Murphy fans get the long-awaited sequel to Coming To America, the film is making a move from being shown first in theaters to streaming.

Film distributor Paramount Pictures is in the process of selling the film to Amazon Studios for $125 million, according to insiders and Variety. The move would prompt the film to hit Amazon Prime for streaming on December 18.

The final details are being pieced together and circle around two consumer marketing tie-ins with McDonalds as well as Crown Royal. Murphy, who produced and starred in the film, has to sign off on the sale.

The move is a priority for Amazon Studios following the acquiring the sequel to Borat as well as a Tom Clancy adaptation, Without Remose set to star Michael B. Jordan/strong> and Regina Kings One Night In Miami which has some Oscar buzz behind it.

With the coronavirus pandemic forcing movie studios to switch release dates for blockbusters and other films, studios have now decided to either sell movies to streaming providers in order to recoup money back or push release dates to 2021. Coming 2 America was originally set to premiere on Christmas Day in theaters and also was in play to be sold to Viacom’s streaming service, CBS All Access.

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Paramount had previously sold films such as The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Lovebirds to Netflix.

The original Coming To America arrived in theaters in 1988, directed by John Landis starring Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley and John Amos. The plot revolved around Murphy as the charming Prince Akeem who traveled from the fictional country of Zamunda to find a bride in America. The film grossed $300 million at the box office and became not only a cultural phenomenon for Black moviegoers but became one of Murphy’s beloved comedies of all-time.

The sequel finds Murphy reprising his role as Prince Akeem as he prepares to ascend to become king of Zamunda when he discovers he fathered a child he never knew in America, a Queens native named Lavelle. To honor his father’s dying wish, Akeem sets out with Semmi to go back to America to groom the young man into a prince. Murphy, Hall and Jones will reprise those roles as Jermaine Folwer, Tracy Morgan, Jay Pharoah and others are joining the cast.

Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming 2 America’ To Hit Streaming On December 18  was originally published on theboxhouston.com