Lights

Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is the prince of a wealthy African country and wants for nothing, except a wife who will love him in spite of his title. To escape an arranged marriage, Akeem flees to America accompanied by his persnickety sidekick, Semmi (Arsenio Hall), to find his queen. Disguised as a foreign student working in fast food, he romances Lisa (Shari Headley), but struggles with revealing his true identity to her and his marital intentions to his king father (James Earl Jones).

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Did you know?

  • This was the first time Eddie Murphy played multiple characters in the same film, inspired by Peter Sellers who did the same in Dr. Strangelove (1964). This would become a trademark of Murphy’s.
  • The homeless men that receive the money from Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) are the Duke brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) from Trading Places (1983) (also directed by John Landis). In that movie, Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy) was responsible for The Dukes losing their fortune.
  • The name of the fictional African country the main characters are from is called “Zamunda.” This name was taken from a Richard Pryor routine where he referred to a fictional African tribe of the same name.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! The Paramount Theater is pleased to bring diverse programming to the stage and screen. The Theater does not provide advisories about subject matter for events, as sensitivities vary. Not all events may appeal to, or be appropriate for, every person. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows offered in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.

In addition to show synopses, trailers, and reviews on our web events, other resources about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches. For further questions, please contact the Box Office at 434.979.1333 or at boxoffice@theparamount.net, 10AM-2PM Monday-Friday + 1 hour before events.