Eddie Murphy is mainly known for family friendly comedies since a long time ago, but this surely wasn't how he started his career. Murphy was an R-rated and razor sharp comedian who was one of the biggest stars during the 80s. The most popular and iconic of his many roles is probably as the wisecracking and street smart Detective Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop.
The first two movies (from 1984 and 1987) are considered classics and were produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, while the third one (from 1994) is considered the weakest of the bunch, with Bruckheimer not being involved. For 20 years, there have been rumours claiming that a fourth movie would be made, but so far, nothing has been materialised until it was confirmed a few years ago that Netflix would make it.
So what made Eddie Murphy change his mind this time? Well, it turns out Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement had a lot to do with it:
"Jerry Bruckheimer, the original producer. When he got involved, and he started developing the script, and he knew what Beverly Hills Cop was supposed to be. When he got back involved, that's when it all started to come together. Because we tried for years and years, maybe 10, 12 years, and I must have read five or six different scripts, and it was never right. The studio was like, 'Let's go. Here it is.' It was like, 'It's just not it.' Jerry Bruckheimer got back in there, and he knows his s--t, and he put it together. He did [Top Gun: Maverick] just last year, and Bad Boys is Jerry Bruckheimer. So we have that same brain behind Beverly Hills Cop, and he put all the pieces in place that were required for us to make a great movie. And I'm excited for people to see it."
Besides Murphy, both Judge Reinhold and John Ashton are confirmed to be returning as Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart, so at least all the main components are here. Are you looking forward to the return of Axel Foley later this year?
Thanks, Collider.