Akon Urges Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall to Cast African Actors in 'Coming to America 2'

Akon is just as excited as anyone for the arrival of Coming to America 2, the sequel to the 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy as a wealthy prince from the fictional African nation of Zamuda. However, the singer noted that this time around, African actors and comedians should be cast in a film based on the African continent. 

During an interview with TMZ, the Senegalese singer, applauded Coming to America as "one of the most amazing comedy films ever." However, Akon also noted that with Coming to America 2 using the costume design skill set of Ruth E. Carter, who earned an Academy Award this year for her work on Black Panther, the upcoming film should incorporate African talent. 

"I love that they're using the Black Panther concept—it opened up a whole other avenue for people who want to be more educated on Africa," the artist explained. "One thing I would recommend though, although I haven't seen the casting yet, they should cast some African comedians and African actors because the film industry in Africa is huge, it's one of the biggest in the world." 

Akon noted that casting African talent for the upcoming film would appeal to both American and African audiences. "There's no way you can do Coming to America without adding someone like Michael Blackson, who's African and is one of the funniest African comedians out there," the singer suggested. He also pointed out that the Ghanaian-American actor, who performed on the Arsenio Hall Show, is well-known in the U.S.

The 1988 comedy starred Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem, with Arsenio Hall portraying his right-hand man and best friend. The two travel to America in light of Akeem's search for an intelligent wife, portrayed by Shari Headley. James Earl Jones will reportedly reprise his role as King Jaffe Joffer, Akeem's father and King of Zamunda.