The long-awaited sequel to the Eddie Murphy comedy classic “Coming to America” will have its world premiere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park next week.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards will make an introduction during the “Coming 2 America” screening as Queens Drive-In kicks off its second season at the New York Hall of Science.
“’Coming to America’ is the quintessential, iconic Queens film, and we are beyond thrilled to host one of the only screenings of its sequels, ‘Coming 2 America,’ right here in the film’s backyard,” Richards said. “I am proud to continue the borough president office’s tradition of hosting drive-in films in our home borough. I thank the Museum of Moving Image, Rooftop Films, the New York Hall of Science and Amazon for being valuable partners in welcoming ‘Coming 2 America’ back home in Queens.”
The March 5 premiere is free and open to the public with an RSVP, and participants will receive free food and merchandise courtesy of Amazon Studios. Queens Drive-In hosted sold-out events last summer and fall, offering family entertainment as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the borough, particularly in the neighborhoods of Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst just west of Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
The 2021 spring season will run from March through June providing screenings and other cultural events with a capacity of 200 cars at the New York Hall of Science parking lot. The 2020 series included more than 20 free community events, raised thousands of dollars for local community organizations, and provided work for hundreds of employees and food vendors, making it a vital resource for the community and providing a rare opportunity to gather and celebrate the arts as the neighborhoods rebounded from tragedy.
“The Queens Drive-In film screenings brought much-needed respite for families amid this pandemic,” Councilman Francisco Moya said. “I am proud to continue to support this initiative as we go into the spring and a new sense of normalcy with one of our favorite forms of entertainment. Thank you to Rooftop Films, the Museum of Moving Image and the New York Hall of Science for offering safe, creative and entertaining ways for families to come together.”
The partners continue to hold audience and staff safety as their first priority, and for this reason screenings will be available only to attendees watching the films from their enclosed automobiles until further notice, in accordance with city and state regulations. The partners will remain in conversation with the city and state agencies to determine whether in the future it will be safe and legal to adapt the event spaces to accommodate socially distanced walk-up attendees. For more information visit the Queens Drive-In website.
Events will include more than a dozen double features, including playful pairings of urban dystopias “Escape from New York” and “Robocop”; the chaotic adolescence of “Dazed and Confused” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”; the groundbreaking “Shaft and Boyz n the Hood”; “Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury vs. Meiko Kaji in Lady Snowblood”; classic action capers “North by Northwest” and “From Russia with Love”; “Rocky and Creed”; beloved tales of female independence “Desperately Seeking Susan” and “Thelma and Louise”; and, song-and-dance standard-bearers from two different eras: “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Magic Mike XXL.”
Tickets will be priced starting at $35 per car (up to 5 passengers per car) and $45 for double features. Members of the presenting organizations will receive a 20 percent discount.
