Sometimes, you gotta play the hits. And at a certain point in an actor’s career, perhaps it’s time to revisit and play all those hits once again. Harrison Ford’s done it all recently (“Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Bladerunner”), and comedian Eddie Murphy is arguably headed on a similar path. After returning to the “Coming To America” franchise in 2021, Murphy is now revisiting arguably his most iconic role: that of Axel Foley in the crime comedy franchise, “Beverly Hills Cop.” The latest and fourth film in the franchise, the modestly titled, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley,” arrives in the summer of 2024 via Netflix.
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While it remains to be seen what franchise Murphy revisits next (though Dan Aykroyd just said he wrote a “Trading Places” sequel and submitted it to Murphy and Paramount a few days ago), if any, what is clear is that Murphy has abandoned the R-rating of both these franchises (“Coming To America,” and “Beverly Hills Cop”) into something more palatable for all audiences in a PG-13 realm.
Still, as funny as everyone hopes the films to be, producer Jerry Bruckheimer says heart and soul are key to the new ones. “It’s about the emotion,” he told Empire recently. “No matter how funny it is, how much great action it has, it’s all about the heartstrings.”
So, what’s the new killer case? Well, for one, it’s a team-up with his daughter and her ex-boyfriend, played by Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, respectively. And yes, much of the old band is back together again, as the film also features Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, and Kevin Bacon.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.
The director behind this one is Mark Molloy, a filmmaker who has made his mark in the commercial space, winning several significant awards and making his feature-length debut with this fourth ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ outing.
Based on characters created by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie, Jr., “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley” was written by Will Beall (“Gangster Squad,” “Aquaman”) and Tom Gormican & Kevin Etten, based on a story by Beall. Producers on the project include Jerry Bruckheimer, p.g.a., Eddie Murphy, p.g.a., and Chad Oman, p.g.a., with Melissa Reid as a co-producer.
Netflix hasn’t set an exact date for “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley” yet but promises that it’s coming in the summer of 2024. Watch the new teaser trailer below.