See Eddie Murphy Return As Axel Foley In Beverly Hills Cop 4
Eddie Murphy is photographed in the iconic jacket worn by Axel Foley during the filming of Beverly Hills Cop 4: Axel Foley.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the title of the highly anticipated fourth installment in the wildly popular action franchise, and it’s currently in production, with Netflix set to distribute the long-awaited sequel. According to MovieWeb, some photos captured from the set of the film have made their way online and a couple of them were subsequently posted to Twitter. The new images feature franchise star Eddie Murphy in his iconic varsity jacket, alongside Taylor Paige, who is rumored to portray Axel’s daughter in the forthcoming feature.
The latest entry in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film series has been in various stages of development since the mid-90s under the helm of Eddie Murphy and his production company, but it wasn’t until recently that the sequel came to fruition. After several writers and directors came and went from the project, Beverly Hills Cop 4 was shelved in 2011 in favor of a television show centered around Axel’s son. Following the filming of a pilot episode in 2013, CBS passed on a series order, and Paramount Pictures once again turned their focus to a new motion picture installment.
Development on a fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie continued to face obstacles up until 2019, when Paramount Pictures announced it had licensed the property to be distributed by Netflix. Following delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the sequel, which sees Eddie Murphy return as Axel Foley, entered pre-production earlier this year, and filming began on the project this past August. At this time, the movie has not been given a release date, and although a 2023 premiere isn’t impossible, the sequel will likely land on the streaming platform sometime in 2024.
Beverly Hills Cop was a massive hit with critics and at the box office when it was released in 1984. Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, and Jonathan Banks, the explosive action flick grossed $235 million at the domestic box office, which is an incredible feat considering the film only earned $15 million in its opening weekend. Globally, the movie raked in a whopping $316 million, and a sequel was given the greenlight shortly after.
Although critical reception was quite negative for Beverly Hills Cop II, which brought back several actors from its predecessor, including Eddy Murphy, the 1987 sequel was still a box office sensation, earning nearly $300 million globally. Unfortunately, Beverly Hills Cop III saw the franchise take a turn for the worst. The third installment was panned by critics and earned a mere $120 million from a budget of $50 million.
Considering it’s been nearly three decades since we last saw Axel Foley in action, now is the perfect time to introduce the badass detective to a new generation. Although plot details are being kept under wraps at this time, we do know that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley stars Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kevin Bacon, Paul Reiser, Judge Reinhold, Taylour Paige, Michael Camp, John Ashton, and James Preston Rogers. The forthcoming sequel is being directed by Mark Molloy from a screenplay by Josh Appelbaum, Will Beall, and Andre Nemec.
