Where Was Coming To America Filmed? Eddie Murphy’s 1988 Rom-Com Film!

Most American rom-coms have a cliched storyline, not Eddie Murphy’s Coming To America (1988). The romantic comedy film follows an African Prince who travels to America disguised as an exchange student and tries to find a woman who would love him genuinely and not because of his royal background. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Coming To America filmed.

Eddie Murphy not only stars in the lead role, but he also wrote the story for the film. He was one of the regular cast members on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 84, which catapulted him to stardom and cemented his position in Hollywood as an actor and stand-up comedian. He has been in several critically acclaimed films and was also nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award. Having said that, the other central characters in the romantic comedy movie are played by Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, and Shari Headley. 

Now, without making you wait any longer, let me give you the answer to your question about where was Coming To America filmed. The romantic comedy movie was shot in New York and California, United States of America. 

Coming To America is directed by John Landis, and the screenplay is written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein. The romantic comedy movie was released on 29th June 1988 in the United States. It is currently available on several popular streaming platforms. However, it’s time to look closely at the filming locations.

Where Was Coming to America Filmed? Coming To America Filming Locations!

John Landis’ Coming To America received mixed reviews from most critics, while some praised Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall for their lively performance. The romantic comedy film turned out to be a blockbuster as it was a massive hit at the box office, earning over $350 million against a production budget of $36 million. It was one of the highest-grossing Hollywood movies of 1987.

Landis has worked on several movies with Murphy. He is widely known for his quirky comedies and romantic dramas. Not to mention the movie also received two Oscar nominations. Coming To America scored 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and got an IMDb rating of 7.1. However, let’s move forward and find out where was Coming To America filmed.

New York, United States Of America

Coming To America was primarily shot in New York, and a few other sequences were shot in California. The production team filmed in multiple locations in New York, including New York City’s Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The African Kingdom in the film, as you can guess, was entirely fictitious. The interior scenes of Akeem’s Zamundan palace were shot on a built-in set.

The airport scenes in the movie were filmed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. Several other scenes were shot on Queens Boulevard near Elmhurst, Queens. The apartment where Akeem and Semmi decide to stay is located at 392 South Fifth Street, Brooklyn. The restaurant where they managed to get a menial job was situated in Queens’ Elmhurst neighborhood.

The scene in which Lisa and Akeem go on a date to watch a basketball game was filmed at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. A couple of scenes were shot in Manhattan’s Park Avenue area as well. When Akeem’s father, King Jaffe, visits New York, he stays at the swanky Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which is situated at 301 Park Avenue, Manhattan. Movies like Al Pacino’s Scent Of A Woman, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums, and Woody Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters were also filmed at the luxurious hotel. 

Some of the other locations in New York where filming took place include the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets Station in Downtown Brooklyn, the River Café on Water Street near Brooklyn Bridge, and the Empire-Fulton Ferry Park. 

California, United States Of America

The interior scenes of Akeem’s palace that I mentioned earlier were built by the production team at Paramount Studios, which is situated on Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California. At the movie’s beginning, remember the scene where Akeem and his father have a personal conversation? That particular scene was shot at Huntington Library and Gardens at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California. A handful of scenes were filmed at the Big Sky Ranch at 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California.

The Plot Of Coming To America (1988) | Let’s Meet Prince Akeem!

The story of Coming To America revolves around Akeem Joffer, played by Eddie Murphy. Akeem is the crown prince of Zamunda, a wealthy African nation. He is bored with his luxurious and pampered lifestyle. On his 21st birthday, his parents, King Jaffe and Queen Aoleon, ask him to get married to a girl of their choice. He refuses and takes action. Akeem claims he wants to marry a woman who will love him truly and not marry him because of his social status and royal background.

Prince Akeem decides to travel to New York, America, with his best friend/assistant, Semmi, played by Arsenio Hall. He pretends to be an exchange student who is struggling hard and tries to find a small apartment for himself and Semmi. He gets a job at a fast food center where he meets Lisa McDowell, played by Shari Headly. He immediately falls in love with her and decides to marry her, but struggles to reveal his real identity.

Final Words

Now that you are aware of all the filming locations of Coming To America, I would suggest you make a plan with your friends or loved ones and check out the places I mentioned. I can assure you that it would be a fascinating experience to visit those places which you once saw in the movie. Having said that, if you feel like reading more such articles, keep an eye on the Viebly website.