Coming to America
“This summer, Prince Akeem discovers America.”
Synopsis
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.
Part of the Coming to America Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Paramount Movies TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2020-12-01
Top Cast
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Eddie Murphy
Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul
Shari Headley
Lisa McDowell
Arsenio Hall
Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown
Madge Sinclair
Queen Aoleon
Samuel L. Jackson
Hold-Up Man
Allison Dean
Patrice McDowell
John Amos
Cleo McDowell
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Boy Getting Haircut
Vanessa Bell Calloway
Imani Izzi
Calvin Lockhart
Colonel Izzi
James Earl Jones
King Jaffe Joffer
Eriq La Salle
Darryl Jenks
Frankie Faison
Landlord
Louie Anderson
Maurice
Paul Bates
Oha
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Basketball Game Vendor
Garcelle Beauvais
Rose Bearer #3
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Street Hustler
Release History & Theatrical Window
Beverly Hills, California
Festival / Special Debut
June 29, 1988
Wide Cinema Exhibition
November 20, 2007
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$30M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$288.8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
9.63x
+$258.8M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Landis
- Screenplay & Story
- David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein
- Original Score
- Nile Rodgers
- Original Title
- Coming to America
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Production Budget
- $30M
- Worldwide Gross
- $288.8M
- Production Studios
- Eddie Murphy Productions, Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Landis
David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Eddie Murphy, Brian Stewart
Nile Rodgers
Sol Negrin, Woody Omens
Malcolm Campbell, George Folsey Jr.
Leslie Belzberg, George Folsey Jr., Mark Lipsky, Robert D. Wachs, Eddie Murphy
Department Leadership Roster
John Landis
Director
David Sheffield
Screenplay
Barry W. Blaustein
Screenplay
George Folsey Jr.
Producer
Robert D. Wachs
Producer
Nile Rodgers
Original Music Composer
Sol Negrin
Director of Photography
Woody Omens
Director of Photography
Malcolm Campbell
Editor
George Folsey Jr.
Editor
Richard Macdonald
Production Design
Deborah Nadoolman Landis
Costume Design
John Sherrod
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Coming to America.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About Coming to America
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Coming to America about?
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.
Who directed Coming to America?
Coming to America was directed by John Landis.
Who stars in Coming to America?
The principal cast of Coming to America includes Eddie Murphy, Shari Headley, Arsenio Hall, Madge Sinclair, Samuel L. Jackson.
When was Coming to America released and how long is it?
Coming to America was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 1h 57m.
What was the box office and production budget of Coming to America?
Coming to America had a reported production budget of $30M and grossed $288.8M at the worldwide box office (9.63 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Coming to America?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Coming to America was composed by Nile Rodgers.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Coming to America?
Coming to America holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).