Many of you have probably heard/read the rumor that Eddie Murphy is working on a sequel to “Coming to America.” They began about a month ago when Murphy tweeted the below image of Vanessa Bell Calloway in character with the caption, “Coming to America sequel?”

The tweet and Eddie’s Twitter account were soon deleted, but it was enough to excite fans and inspire several articles speculating on the possibility.

TMZ would later report that their source confirmed that Murphy is indeed working on a “Coming to America” sequel; but this is coming from TMZ, and there was no confirmation from Murphy or the studio. However TMZ has broken many stories in the past that were eventually confirmed as fact. And until today, this one hadn’t been confirmed.

It has now, as The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Paramount, the studio behind the hit 1988 original, has hired Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield (who both wrote the screenplay for the original) to script a “Coming to America” sequel.

No word on story at this early stage of development; also it’s not said whether Eddie Murphy will return to star, or if, as some of you suggested, the story instead focuses on the son of Prince Akeem and Lisa McDowell, who got married to the cheers of Zamundans at the end of the 1998 film.

For her part, Vanessa Bell Calloway – who appeared in the original as Imani Izzi (Prince Akeem’s arranged wife-to-be) – is most certainly interested in returning for a sequel, telling TMZ that she’s “ready to go.”

The original film was a smash for Paramount; made for under $40 million, it grossed over $288 million worldwide, $128 million in the States alone. It’s a wonder that a sequel didn’t happen soon after, to capitalize on the momentum.