Credit: Unsplash

Eddie Murphy still looks great in royal garb.

Coming to America was definitely one of those movies you had to be there for. The critical reception was rather middling at the time, but the charming performance of Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem Joffer kept in the minds of the movie-loving public as a cult classic. With the release of Coming 2 America on Amazon Prime, we seem to have a repeat of history: critics haven’t been especially kind to the film, calling it a retread of previous jokes, but if the reports are to be believed, more than enough people watched the film anyway.

According to research firm Screen Engine, since its weekend debut on March 5, Coming 2 America has swiftly become the most watched film released on a streaming service not only since the beginning of this year, but since this time last year. While Screen Engine didn’t disclose precise viewership statistics, they confirmed that Coming 2 America had received more views than both Wonder Woman 1984 and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. The movie has also surpassed the most recent high profile offerings from Paramount+ and Disney+, such as The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and Raya and the Last Dragon, respectively. Considering Raya and the Last Dragon required an additional payment of $30 from subscribers of Disney+, that probably had something to do with its being surpassed.

This why I don’t listen to reviews. I enjoyed #Coming2America pic.twitter.com/mfnDg9g34D

— Nikki J (@ReinaDeBaila) March 8, 2021

“The Zamunda Royal family has arrived and audiences around the globe welcomed them enthusiastically!” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in a statement. “The premiere of Coming 2 America has far exceeded any of our wildest expectations. It’s clear an entire new generation of fans have joined the enormous loyal fanbase who already adored the magical world created by global phenom Eddie Murphy, the incredibly talented filmmaking team and the hilarious, all-star cast of existing and newly-cemented legends. Coming 2 America is the perfectly fun, celebratory, escapist, feel-good comedy movie that worldwide audiences needed.”