If you were one of the millions that enjoyed Eddie Murphy’s Coming 2 America over the weekend, you’ll likely recall Prince Akeem’s luxurious Zamunda Palace. The fantastical abode looked like it’d been fabricated with some good old-fashioned movie magic, but, in reality, it’s actually the home of one of rap’s most formidable talents. That’s right, the mega-mansion belongs to the big boss Rick Ross.
Production designer Jefferson Sage and his team scouted myriad locations before selecting the rapper’s pad to serve as home to the royal family in the long-awaited sequel to the ‘88 classic Coming To America. Fitting, since the Ross residence is nothing short of palatial.
Located in Fayetteville, Ga., the estate spans some 235 acres and was previously owned by boxer Evander Holyfield. At its center is a 45,000-square-foot manse that boasts some 12 bedrooms and is, quite literally, fit for royalty.
Teyana Taylor and Wesley Snipes star inside Zamunda Palace. Quantrell D. Colbert/Amazon Studios
The crew co-opted five key areas of the home to bring Zamunda to life. This included the grandiose foyer with a double-winding staircase, two stately rooms that feature 18-foot ceilings and oversized windows, plus a generous dining room that can accommodate up to 100 guests (or, in the case of the film, roughly 50 royal subjects). The decadent main bedroom, meanwhile, was actually Ross’s own.
As for the exterior, the team relied on visual effects to enhance the façade and imbue it with fairytale-like accents. Of course, the original structure is nothing to sneeze at.
Speaking to Variety, Ross said that Coming to America may be his all-time favorite movie and he was elated to see Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) and his royal aid slash bestie Semmi (Arsenio Hall) in his home. It also helps the rapper scored a few unexpected-yet-welcome perks.
“They changed the wallpaper in the dining room so I asked them to keep it up there,” Ross told the outlet. “They also created that huge dining room table for a dining scene that seats 50-60 people, and they left that for me as a gift. It’s humungous.”
Eddie Murphy returns as Prince Akeem Joffer in “Coming 2 America.” Courtesy of Amazon Studios
It may not be the last time we see Ross’s Georgia mansion on the big screen, either. During an Instagram Live video, the rapper shared that the home he purchased for approximately $5.8 million in 2014 was paying for itself thanks to movies, production inquiries and visits. (In 2018, Architectural Digest showed how the home transformed for the Set of 2018’s Superfly.) No doubt the newest exposure won’t hurt.
Indeed, Coming 2 America reportedly achieved the biggest opening weekend of films that premiered on streaming services in the past year, according to Amazon and rating firm Screen Engine/ASI. While the exact number of viewers has not been disclosed, Coming 2 America has been named the most-watched streaming movie on a given weekend during the pandemic. That’s a good thing, too, considering Amazon forked out $125 million for the film back in October.
If you were one of the few that didn’t watch it over the weekend, Coming 2 America is streaming now on Prime Video. More
