

Coming to America
This summer, Prince Akeem discovers America.
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.
TMDB
6.9/10
4,934 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
View on IMDb
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $30M
- Box office
- $288.8M
- Language
- English
- new york city
- fast food restaurant
- prince
- fake identity
- heir to the throne
- royal family
- fish out of water
- duringcreditsstinger
- rich man
- searching for love
- rich family
- satirical
Top billed cast


















Behind the camera
Director
Music
Produced in
United States of America
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereRBeverly Hills, California26 Jun 1988
- TheatricalR29 Jun 1988
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical155 Aug 1988
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalM25 Aug 1988
ArgentinaAR
- Theatrical8 Sept 1988
BrazilBR
- TheatricalL1 Sept 1988
- Theatrical27 Oct 1988
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical716 Sept 1988
FinlandFI
- TheatricalS23 Sept 1988
FranceFR
- TheatricalU24 Aug 1988
- PhysicalDVD20 Nov 2007
- PhysicalBlu-Ray24 Apr 2013
- Digital / OTTVOD1 Apr 2018
- Digital / OTTPrime Video1 Feb 2021
- Digital / OTTNetflix1 Apr 2021
- TVRMC Story18 Feb 2026
GermanyDE
- Theatrical121 Sept 1988
GreeceGR
- Theatrical1215 Sept 1988
Hong KongHK
- Theatrical17 Nov 1988
HungaryHU
- Theatrical183 Aug 1989
Frequently asked questions
Coming to America was released on 29 June 1988.
Audience reviews
5- G5/10
Gimly
4/12/2019
Hasn't aged flawlessly, made some stylistic decisions that probably would have come across as weird even at the time, and not the sort of thing (American comedy) that typically appeals to me. But I can still absolutely see why _Coming to America_ is remembered as fondly as it is. I liked it by and large more than the most similar offerings of today. _Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the ap…
- R7/10
r96sk
3/5/2021
I didn't enjoy it as much as expected, but <em>'Coming to America'</em> is nevertheless still good. Eddie Murphy is unsurprisingly the star of the film. Any notable scenes include him, which isn't a shock given the obvious and the fact he plays a number of characters; on that note, only Akeem amused me - the barber shop guys... not so much, to be honest. James Earl Jones (Jaffe), John Amos (Cleo) and Frankie Fa…
- W10/10
Wuchak
3/7/2021
_**My all-time favorite comedy**_ In "Coming to America" (1988) Eddie Murphy plays the likable prince of a rich African kingdom, Akeem. He comes to Queens to find his future queen accompanied by his best friend & servant, Semmi, played by Arsenio Hall. He understandably wants a wife who will love him for who he is and not for his great riches. So they get hired at McDowell's, a McDonald's knock-off, where he meets…
- K7/10
Kamurai
3/10/2021
Really good watch, would watch again, and can recommend. A very good approach to a "Pauper and Prince" trope mix with a culture shock trope. The excellent cast involved really takes it a long way with good writing to help it along. It's admittedly not a very original story structure, so while it is not all that refreshingly unpredictable, but it's good to see a foreign royalty in an American setting, and an Af…
- T
tmdb55527033
11/5/2023
_Coming to America_ is a classic 80's comedy with excellent performances by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. The film's humor holds up well over time, and the duo's ability to portray a variety of different characters is impressive. While some aspects of the film may be dated, it remains a hilarious and heartwarming story about love and acceptance. Overall, _Coming to America_ is a timeless classic and one of the great…
Member reviews
Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign inMember comments
0Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign in











