Some dreadful irony in the title of this movie and theaters … if this film skips theaters ultimately and it’s looking like that is becoming a strong reality.
We talked about this at the first of the month, speculating: If Coming 2 America Skips Theater Release for Streaming, Paramount+? Netflix? Where?
Did not speculate Amazon might dig into their overflowing warchests for this one, but it makes sense. The sequel is worth a lot, especially if it can also score the licensing rights to the first one for a year or two to show alongside this in an Eddie Murphy double-header, but it’s a crying shame if it skips the big screen.
According to multiple sources (see below) Amazon is paying roughly $125 million to be able to stream the Eddie Murphy sequel Coming 2 America on December 18, another movie that very well could be skipping a theatrical release.
Emphasize the word “could” because nobody is saying theaters will be skipped … yet.
“Coming 2 America” is making one more connection before it arrives to American audiences. The long-anticipated sequel to the Eddie Murphy classic is in the process of being sold by distributor Paramount Pictures to Amazon Studios, in a deal worth roughly $125 million, insiders said. The expected streaming premiere date is December 18, sources added.
Paramount Selling Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming 2 America’ to Amazon – Variety
Amazon does screen some of their movies in theaters, so all hope is not lost for a theatrical release, assuming any theaters will show it with day and date release, or close to it.
If Regal theaters are reopened and sticks by their guns, they certainly won’t, but AMC might, because by December 18 if they don’t secure more emergency cash they will be swirling the drain financially. AMC also has that 17 day reduced theatrical window. Might be a situation where beggars can’t be choosers and they’ll take whatever movie they can show on their screens domestically.
Maybe by Christmas Amazon will buy up more theaters — perhaps some from cash-strapped AMC — and show this locally? Amazon is headquartered in Seattle near us, it just seems wrong somehow if this won’t show in a theater somewhere locally at least. We’ll find out in a couple months …
We’re you also looking forward to seeing this in theaters or happy if it’s on Amazon Prime Video streaming as part of the included service? Or, please no, not a Disney+ Premium deal where we have to pay an additional 30 bones to see it plus be subscribers? That is a road we don’t want to see movie distribution go. Everything is PVOD for X amount of days then it shows up on the streaming du jour and very few movies debut on whatever scarce group of theaters remain in a Mad Max style apocalyptic cinema wasteland.
Movies, Movies, Movies 
I really wanted to see this in a theater. Ugh!
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Maybe we still will. Hold out hope … but yes, it seems very unlikely now.
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