Eddie Murphy broke the stereotype that Hollywood films with Black casts would flop overseas with his film ‘Coming to America’. The comedy classic, which released in 1988, earned nearly $300 million worldwide. This was thirty years before ‘Black Panther’ released, Marvel’s African superhero hit that returned a billion-dollar box office haul.

Murphy will be returning to the big screens on March 5 with a sequel ‘Coming 2 America’. According to Murphy, the global success of ‘Black Panther‘ and ‘Coming to America’ has nothing to do with any growing interest in racial politics and history. He felt that these films made a mark due to old-fashioned, universal storytelling.

“Most of our movies, they shine a light on some social injustice or some civil unrest… (but) around the world they don’t give a shit about that,” Murphy told AFP.

‘Coming 2 America‘ is just about family and love, the actor said. Murphy added that the film was not about shedding light on social injustice, but about doing the right thing.

Murphy’s comments come as Hollywood has been launching a flood of prestigious Black cast-led movies about the civil rights movement which are hotly tipped for Oscars glory, including “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “One Night in Miami.”

Murphy said his new film shares royal DNA with 2018 smash hit ‘Black Panther’, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman and was praised for its message of pan-African unity.

“These amazing images of Black kings and queens and princesses… ‘Black Panther’ did it,” said Murphy.

“The very first one was ‘Coming to America,'” he added.