Without a doubt, “Coming 2 America” is one of the most anticipated comedy sequels of all time. For many, the 1989 original is up there as one of the best comedies ever produced, with so many quotable lines and legendary performances (particularly from its two leads, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall). Needless to say, you’d have to be a crazy person to want to direct a sequel 30 years later, right? Well, Craig Brewer is that crazy man.
In a new episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talked to Craig Brewer, the director of “Coming 2 America,” about taking the reins of a huge sequel with a ton of expectations. And trust us, the filmmaker is well aware of the hype surrounding his film and the worry that he will be responsible for ruining a classic film by adding a subpar sequel.
“With sequels, it always made me think, ‘Does that really happen? Can a sequel be so bad that it ruins the first movie?’” said Brewer. “It’s an interesting concept, but I understand what people are saying. The first [‘Coming to America’] is priceless to a lot of people and to myself included.”
He continued, “I love that first movie. And part of that love is being protective of a movie. Especially with [a sequel] that is going to be 30 years later.”
One of the most difficult aspects of the directing gig on “Coming 2 America” is the fact that Brewer had to figure out when to draw the line as far as cameos and callbacks to the original is concerned. There are definitely plenty of references to the 1989 film in the sequel, but at some point, Brewer knew that there could be too many.
“That was a difficult job,” said Brewer. “I know there are going to be people saying, ‘Why isn’t Samuel L. Jackson in the movie?’ Look, we can’t do everything.”
He added, “We can’t have everything from the original. And more so, that’s what the original’s for. I don’t want [the sequel] to replace the original. I really just want it to be like we show up and see these guys again 30 years later.”
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that there are famous fans of the original “Coming to America.” And one of those fans happens to be Tyrese Gibson, a friend of Brewer’s and one of the stars of the “Fast & Furious” franchise. But the director knew that adding Gibson to the film might just be too weird.
“Every day, I was dealing with people who wanted to be in ‘Coming 2 America,’” he said. “So Ruth [Carter, costume designer] called me up and said, ‘Tyrese is coming by the set and he really wants to be in the movie in any way he can.’”
He added, “So he said, ‘I’ll be a guard at the door!’ And I said, ‘Tyrese, if the camera’s panning by you and you’re a guard, everyone’s going to be like, “Is that Tyrese?!”’… It wouldn’t make sense.”
“Coming 2 America” isn’t the first time that Brewer has worked with Eddie Murphy. The two previously collaborated on the recent film, “Dolemite is My Name.” And now, with this new film, it appears that the two are pretty solid friends and collaborators. So, what’s next? After saying he would “love” to work with Eddie Murphy again, Brewer pitched a sequel that he has in mind.
“I actually think there’s a movie to do with the ‘Trading Places’ world,” he explained. “I think there’s an Eddie Murphy Universe… Imagine Akeem facing the character he played in ‘Trading Places,’ like sharing a scene together. Now, you’re not dealing with makeup or anything, you’re dealing strictly with attitude.”
You can hear our entire interview with Craig Brewer below, as well as some quick thoughts on “Coming 2 America” (it’s a lot of fun!) and our favorite comedy sequels (surprisingly controversial):
As always, The Playlist Podcast is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes Be Reel, The Discourse, The Fourth Wall, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. You can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top to listen on this page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating, as we do appreciate it. Thank you for listening.
