BILL VAUGHAN’S TASTY CLIPS: ‘Coming 2 America’ headed to Amazon Studios

BILL VAUGHAN’S TASTY CLIPS

By Bill Vaughan

Entertainment Writer

“Coming 2 America,” the sequel to the 1988 blockbuster starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Paul Bates and Shari Headley, has reportedly been acquired by Amazon Studios, sidestepping a theatrical release.

The streaming service is said to have obtained the rights for the film and associated marketing deals with both McDonald’s and Crown Royal for a reported $125 million.

The plot finds Murphy’s Prince Akeem returning from Zamunda to seek out a surprise heir played by comic/actor Jermaine Fowler, formerly of CBS’ “Superior Donuts.”

Additions to the all-star cast include Wesley Snipes (back with Murphy after their hit “My Name is Dolemite”), Leslie Jones (whose “Supermarket Sweep” revival premieres on ABC Sunday), Tracy Morgan, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Garcelle Beauvais, Kiki Layne, Rick Ross, Teyana Taylor, Michael Blackson and Luenell, who told TASTY CLIPS last December that it was one of the funniest scripts she’s ever read.

It is now expected to be Amazon’s bid to enter a competitive December between streamers with Netflix offering August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” featuring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman’s final performance; and “Jingle Jangle,” David E. Talbert’s impressive-looking holiday musical with Forest Whitaker, Phylicia Rashad, Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose and Ricky Martin.

Disney+ counters with the exclusive Christmas Day premiere of “Soul,” the ground-breaking Pixar computer-generated animated movie propped by the voices of Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Questlove and Tina Fey.

TASTY QUIP: “I’ve received quite a bit of attention for appearance as well as my talent. I choose my own clothing. Let me repeat: I choose what I wear, not because I am trying to appeal to men, but because I am showing pride in my appearance, and a positive body image is central to who I am as a woman and a performer. I value compliments from women far more than from men.” – MEGAN THEE STALLION in the New York Times

CLIPPETTES: Stevie Wonder released his first new music in three years with the singles “Where Is Our Love Song,” featuring guitar phenom Gary Clark Jr., and “Can’t Put It in the Hands of Fate.” Proceeds from the songs on his So What the Fuss Music label will benefit the nonprofit Feeding America … 

Legendary vocalist Dionne Warwick is streaming Live From Las Vegas on Oct. 16 via Roku, Apple TV+ and musicparknetwork.com

Also that day, Toronto-based Afro-Cuban jazz fusion group, OKAN, led by violinist Elizabeth Rodriguez and percussionist Magdelys Savigne, perform selections from their new album “Espiral“ via Facebook and YouTube at 5 p.m.; while the evening caps off with supreme spinning at djjazzyjeff.com

Veteran BET, NBC, CBS, and NPR news anchor and host Ed Gordon has joined iHeartMedia’s BIN — Black Information Network — as an on-air anchor and correspondent joining Roland Martin …

Oct. 17 kicks off with a Cook-A-Thon fundraiser benefitting World Central Kitchen at 5:30 via the L.A. Times YouTube channel. More than 30 celebs and chefs including Danny Trejo, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alice Waters, Éric Ripert, José Andrés, Greg Dulan (Dulan’s), John Cleveland and Roni Cleveland (Post & Beam), Ludo Lefebvre (Petit Trois) and Wes Avila are participating in the event, which requires registration at EventBrite.com

Later, there is another edition of Saturday Night with Marcus Miller & Friends this week featuring Gregory Porter, Patrice Rushen, Chip Crawford, comic Alonzo Bodden and more at saturdaynightwithmarcusmiller.com/#

“Voice Your Vote,” a digital concert experience and call to action inspired by the spirit of Nina Simone and singer-songwriter Valerie June’s “Young, Gifted & Black” playlist, streams at 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at citywinery.com. Joining June are Brittany Howard, Lizz Wright, Jon Batiste, Kandace Springs, Rhiannon Giddens, Deva Mahal, Son Little, Ruth B, Allison Russell and Black Pumas …

At 5 p.m., Queen Latifah, George Lopez, Regina Hall, Ken Jeong, Howie Mandel, John Mayer and many more are set for Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine, benefitting Scleroderma Research Foundation on YouTube; while Abbey Lincoln and Moseka House – The House That She Wanted To Build with Gary Bartz and Michael Bowie is being presented by Marc Cary at healdsburgjazz.org

Delfeayo Marsalis, Tia Fuller and Don Braden are among the artists on the performance roster of the 2020 SC Jazz Festival feting Cheraw native Dizzy Gillespie’s 103rd birthday. It’s free from Oct. 18-24 at scjazzfestival.com

Tony and two-time Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Holliday is celebrating her 60th birthday with a streamed show featuring hit songs from her debut Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,” tributes to her childhood idol Aretha Franklin, tunes from her own albums and some special guests on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. Search goldstar.com for details …

The best of JazzMobile’s Summerfest2020 is available for viewing through Oct. 31 via their YouTube channel JZM.TV. Check for Wycliffe Gordon, Alyson Williams, Winard Harper, Bobby Sanabria, Jimmy Owens, Nat Adderley Jr., and the Craig Harris Band’s Tribute to Muhammad Ali: Brown Butterfly Suite.

TASTY QUIP: “Rational anxiety can also be parental paranoia. I’ve got three daughters. The natural paranoia I feel with my two oldest is going to school. I’m entrusting them in the hands of adults that I don’t know. I don’t breathe easy until they’re home. An irrational anxiety is literally when I’m at home and I’m thinking it’s about to be a home invasion, like looking out the window for some threat that doesn’t even exist. Then again, when you hear stories like what happened to Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth, you wonder how irrational that anxiety really is, because I’ve thought about those same scenarios before.” – CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD on “The Talk”

TC ON TV: Oct. 16 – “The Way I See It” (MSNBC): “Good Trouble” director Dawn Porter’s doc about presidential photographer Pete Souza follows Rachel Maddow. “Time” (Amazon): Garrett Bradley became the first Black woman to win best director for U.S. documentary for this at the Sundance Film Festival this year. “The Trial of The Chicago 7” (Netflix): From writer-director Aaron Sorkin comes this fact-based court drama starring Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen and Yahya Abdul-Mateen (“Watchmen”) as the Black Panther Party’s Bobby Seale. “Great Performances” (PBS): “Grammy Salute To Music Legends” honors Roberta Flack, Public Enemy, Chicago, Isaac Hayes and more with tributes in song from Philip Bailey, Sam Moore, Cynthia Erivo, Cyndi Lauper, Leslie Odom Jr. and Yola, among others.

Oct. 17 – “David Byrne’s American Utopia” (HBO): The Talking Heads frontman’s critically acclaimed Broadway show as filmed by Spike Lee. “Austin City Limits” (PBS): “Stevie Ray Vaughan – A Retrospective” spotlights the late Texas blues rocker. “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Issa Rae and musical guest Justin Bieber

Oct. 18 – “Holy Calamavote” (Cartoon): Run The Jewels promote the vote with special guests Mavis Staples, Eric Andre and more. “Lovecraft Country” (HBO): The season finale will be accompanied by a groundbreaking social VR experience inspired by the ’50s Chicago block party from the first episode with Janelle Monáe and the show’s Michael Kenneth Williams. Visit Lovecraftsanctum.com for details. “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” (ABC): Tiffany Haddish (playing for She Ready Foundation) vies for the $1 million prize. “Uncensored” (TV1): Omari Hardwick

Oct. 20 – “Real Time with Bryant Gumbel” (HBO): On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Leagues, the host explores why its statistics are still not recognized as part of the official history of the game, and why the Hall of Fame has not elected a Negro League player since 2006. In addition, correspondent Soledad O’Brien sits with teenage millionaire video game stars.

Oct. 21 – “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” (Netflix): David Letterman chats with Dave Chappelle, Lizzo, Robert Downey Jr. and Kim Kardashian. “black-ish” (ABC): Judy Reyes (“Scrubs”) and Parminder Nagra (“ER”) guest star in the season opener finding the Johnsons trying to cope with their family quarantine.

Oct. 22 – “Equal” (HBO Max): Billy Porter (“Pose”) is narrator for this four-part LGBTQ+ docuseries chronicling the untold events leading up to the Stonewall Uprising with a cast including Samira Wiley, Cheyenne Jackson and Isis King. “Roald Dahl’s The Witches” (HBO Max): A Halloween treat starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer and Chris Rock. “Unleashed” (Nick): Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias hosts animal acts in front of a jury comprised of kids and celebrity judges. “Alieu The Dreamer” (BET): From rising director Quincy Ledbetter comes this film set in a world where humans haven’t dreamed for three decades except by a discovered struggling young man who has.   

TASTY QUIP: “The question for this election is, Will the large group of white voters that have been manipulated through the years by the fake lure of racism realize that money and power is the issue and the people they have been directed to attack have neither.” – WYNTON MARSALIS to Daily Beast

As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.