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This story originally ran on June 25, 2018.
Weve republished it alongside our coverage ofthe newly-releasedComing 2 America.
And to direct, Murphy brought in John Landis, who helmed his early hitTrading Places.
And Ihiredhim to direct the movie!
Landis, ina 2005 interview, granted that Murphy had changed.
But whatever the tensions on set, the collaboration yielded rewards.
Never mind the outrageous comedy of the character vignettes, or Murphys understandable desire to grow his screen persona.
And then the lawsuits began.
After the court ruled in Buchwalds favor, Paramount appealed, then finallysettled the suitin 1995.
Beyond questions of authorship, another quiet controversy hauntedComing to Americain 1988 a question of representation.
White writes, Theres ethnic self-loathing and humiliation throughoutComing to America.
I hope hell use his clout rather than focus on who gets the best table at Spagos.
but even a cursory glance at his filmography shows a course correction that began in 1988.
It was so successful; no one ever refers to that as an African-American movie.
Yet it has three speaking parts for white people.
Every other speaking role is an African-American.)
But it has the cultural ubiquity and endless quotability of a great cult movie and something else besides.
Wealth will then be a just reward the reward for being true to himself.
Zamunda, in short, is Hollywood, and Akeem is Eddie Murphy.
