Coming to America (1988): cast, story & where to watch
1988 · Film · ★ 6.9
Released in 1988, Coming to America is a comedy and romance film directed by John Landis, running about 117 minutes. “The four funniest men in America are Eddie Murphy.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s 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’s in it. Coming to America stars Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul, Arsenio Hall as Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown, James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer and John Amos as Cleo McDowell, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Coming to America has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $288.8M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Philo and YouTube TV and rent or buy it from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Coming to America page.
If you liked it. Fans of Coming to America tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Coming to America (1988)?
- In US, Coming to America is available to stream on Philo and YouTube TV, and rent or buy from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Coming to America worth watching?
- Coming to America holds an audience score of 6.9 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy and romance. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Coming to America?
- Coming to America stars Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos and Shari Headley.
- When was Coming to America released?
- Coming to America was released in 1988, with a runtime of about 117 minutes.