Key Takeaways

• Arsenio Hall revealed that Paramount initially turned down Coming to America, calling it a familiar “fish out of water” concept.
• Key elements like the barbershop scenes and multiple-character performances were added after a studio executive encouraged Eddie Murphy to lean into his character work.
• The 1988 film went on to gross over $288 million worldwide and earned two Oscar nominations.

Arsenio Hall is looking back at one of comedy’s most beloved films — and revealing it almost never made it to the screen.

In a recent appearance on “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend,” the comedian shared that Coming to America was initially rejected by Paramount Pictures before becoming a box office hit and cultural staple.

According to Hall, the studio didn’t immediately see the vision when he and Eddie Murphy first pitched the idea. "They turned Coming to America down," he told the host, according to People. "We went and pitched it at Paramount and they said, 'No, thank you.' And we were like, 'Give us some notes. What should we do?’ And they were like, 'We're not sure, but you know, it's a fish out of water. We've seen this a billion times.'"

At the time, the version presented was far from what audiences now recognize. The Ohio native explained that some of the film’s most iconic elements, including the barbershop scenes and multiple-character performances, weren’t part of the original concept. "And Coming to America at that time didn't have the barbershop. It didn't have the preacher. It didn't have Eddie as the old Jewish man," he said.

It wasn’t until a studio executive suggested leaning into Murphy’s character work that things shifted. "He said, 'Everybody wants to see Eddie do characters again. Everybody misses ‘SNL.’ How about if the people you meet in America are played by Eddie?'” Hall added. “And I was sitting there saying, 'Could I get y'all a drink?' And it's Eddie that said, 'Hey, I saw Arsenio do stand-up on this HBO thing. And he does this thing about Jesse Jackson. I know he can do a great preacher and we can come up with some barbers.' "

The 70-year-old continued, "And Eddie came up with the specific characters. And I just sat there shaking because I'm like, I got to do characters with Eddie Murphy. That's like saying, you know, check Jordan. Lock that motherf**ker down. So I was a nervous wreck going into Coming to America."

Released in 1988, the movie followed Prince Akeem of Zamunda as he traveled to Queens, New York, in search of love. It starred Murphy, Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos and a young Samuel L. Jackson. It went on to gross more than $288 million worldwide on an estimated $30 million budget and earned two Oscar nominations in 1989 for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup.

‘Coming 2 America’ proves the franchise’s lasting impact and fan expectations

More than three decades later, the story returned with Coming 2 America on Amazon Prime Video, proving the franchise’s lasting impact. Still, Hall admitted the pressure to deliver was real. "Fans rolled up on you in the mall or on Twitter… 'Don't you f**k up our movie! Don't mess it up!' You have to go into it with all that in your head," he said in a 2021 interview with Extra.

What started as a rejected pitch ultimately became one of the most recognizable comedies of its era — a reminder that even classics sometimes get a second look.