#The Klumps Almost Returned in Coming 2 America

A sequel made decades after the first movie is often a cause for some concern, and Coming 2 America is no different, especially considering the rollercoaster ride that Eddie Murphy’s career has been over the last few years. Well, in a bizarre crossover, these worries would have been realized for many, with Murphy revealing that the highly anticipated Coming to America sequel almost featured a cameo from The Nutty Professor family, The Klumps.

“There was a scene in this Coming 2 America we just did. There was a scene where the Klumps, remember the circumcision scene? Originally, the Klumps kind of popped up in that scene. In the long run, it was too hard a left, and it would have been too expensive to do. So yeah, they were in this thing.”

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Ultimately, after a period of reflection and no doubt an angry email from the accounts department, the decision to have Murphy suit up as The Klumps for a cameo in Coming 2 America was scrapped. The actor first played all five members of the Klump family in 1996’s The Nutty Professor, which follows Eddie Murphy as brainy and kind-hearted university professor, Sherman Klump, who attempts to lose weight using experimental medicine of his own design. While the potion works, it also transforms him into evil alter ego, Buddy Love, also played by Murphy.

The Klumps were promoted to titular roles in the 2000 sequel Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which saw Murphy play eight roles in total, including Professor Sherman Klump, Buddy Love, Papa Cletus Klump, Young Papa Cletus Klump, Ernie Klump Sr., Mama Anna Klump, and Grandma Ida Jenson. Sadly, despite his efforts, the movie was mauled by most critics who described the follow-up as “obnoxious”, “lowbrow”, “bloated”, and “unfunny.”

Speaking of sequels, Coming 2 America comes some thirty-plus years after the original, brings back Eddie Murphy as Akeem Joffer, former Prince, now King of Zamunda, alongside Arsenio Hall as best friend Semmi. Picking up after the events of the first movie, the long-awaited sequel finds the former Prince and newly crowned King, Akeem Joffer, discovering that he has a son he never knew about in America. Honoring his royal father’s dying wish to groom this son as the crown prince, Akeem and Semmi set off to America once again.

Murphy has previously discussed the importance of the 1988 original, with the actor wary of tarnishing the legacy. “The one thing that I didn’t want to do was a bad sequel to a movie that a lot of people have a lot invested. A lot of people grew up watching Coming to America,” he said. “It’s special to them. So, you don’t want to taint that.” Could a cameo from The Klumps have done exactly that? Maybe. Or is that perhaps something that Eddie Murphy fans would have loved to see added to the upcoming sequel? Who knows.

Coming 2 America finds Eddie Murphy reuniting with Dolemite Is My Name director Craig Brewer, who is working from a screenplay written by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, and David Sheffield. Amazon Studios will exclusively release Coming 2 America globally on Prime Video on March 5th, 2021. This comes to us courtesy of the YouTube channel Jake’s Takes.

Topics: Coming to America 2, The Nutty Professor