Eddie Murphy has worn an African crown before. This time, he wants to take one.
Murphy will voice Vakoro, the scheming uncle at the center of the animated family fantasy “M’Tali: The Everlasting Spring,” opposite South African actress Ama Qamata as Princess Selani, Deadline reported Nov. 12. The original story is written by Murphy’s daughter Bria Murphy and Michael Xavier, and it is her feature screenwriting debut.
Selani, heir to the African kingdom of M’Tali, longs for adventure but quietly dreads the crown waiting for her. A coup tears her from her family and her kingdom and drives her into the Forbidden Jungle, where a mysterious family has found the Everlasting Spring, a magical water said to preserve youth. There she has to confront her uncle’s ambitions and learn that what sustains a kingdom is bigger than any single artifact. The film includes musical elements.
From Zamunda to M’Tali
The casting carries history. In 1988, “Coming to America” put Murphy on a fictional African throne as Prince Akeem of Zamunda, one of the few big-screen images of African royalty a generation of Black moviegoers grew up with that came with joy instead of a punchline. Nearly four decades later, he crosses to the other side of the palace intrigue as the relative plotting a power grab. The bigger shift is behind the camera, where a Black family is building the kingdom from the script up.
The project is Murphy’s first animated feature outside the “Shrek” franchise and Disney’s 1998 “Mulan.” He returns as Donkey in “Shrek 5,” due next year, and most recently starred in the Amazon action comedy “The Pickup.”
For Bria Murphy, “M’Tali” is her second film with her father. Her acting credits include the 2024 reboot “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” and the 2016 romantic comedy “The Perfect Match.”
Who is bringing Selani to life
Qamata broke out as Puleng Khumalo in the South African drama “Blood & Water.” Her credits also include “Gomora,” “Fight Like a Girl” and “Commandos.” Casting a South African actress as the heroine keeps the continent at the center of the story.
Xavier, Bria Murphy, Ray Murphy Jr., Autumn Bailey-Ford and Chris Brew produce. Bailey-Ford, founder and CEO of Autumn Bailey Entertainment, which operates in Atlanta and Cape Town, South Africa, has credits including “Color Book” and “On a Wing and a Prayer.” She told Deadline that Selani “leads with heart, curiosity and faith in her people, not with power,” and said she is proud to help bring a story rooted in African culture to the screen.
No director or studio is attached yet. The team is taking the project to directors and to studio, streaming and production partners, and no release date has been set.
What makes “M’Tali” worth watching is who is telling the story. A Murphy has played African royalty before. This time, the family is writing the kingdom.
