Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foleyis set to be a reunion of sorts for Eddie Murphy and the stars of past entries in the franchise, with Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot joining the cast of Netflix’s sequel.
Development of a fourth entry in the franchise had been going on since the mid-90s, long beforeNetflixlanded the rights to produceBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. However, the project would see various writers and directors come and go before Paramount agreed to license the property to Netflix, allowing Murphy andfamed producer Jerry Bruckheimerto move forward withBeverly Hills Cop 4.
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Earlier this summer,Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Taylour Pagejoined the cast ofBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Foleyas newcomers. Now,Deadlinereports that Reinhold and Ashton will reprise their respective roles as Detective Billy Rosewood and Sgt. Taggart. In the originalBeverly Hills Cop, Reinhold’s Billy Rosewood was something of an antagonist to Axel Foley and the former partner of Reiser’s Detective Jeffrey Friedman, who also returns. Rounding out the cast of returning veterans is Pinchot, reprising his role as art gallery salesman turned weapons dealer Serge.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foleywill be directed by Mark Molloy, an Australian filmmaker best known for Apple-related shorts. The fourth entry in theBeverly Hills Copfranchise will be the feature film directorial debut for Molloy, who took over directing duties on the project after Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallahexited to helmBatgirl. Screenwriting duties have been filled by Will Beall, who has experience writing for popular franchises with his work on the script forAquaman. However, Beall is also well-versed in police narratives, having developedTraining DayandDeputyfor television.
Naturally, even fans of theBeverly Hills Copfranchise may be wary of a return to Axel Foley’s world after so long. Sequels to franchises from the ’80s and ’90s are often criticized for offering little more than nostalgia through references to the past and easter eggs.
However, Murphy has said thatBeverly Hills Cop 4wouldn’t happen unlesshe felt the script was right. Considering how long it took to develop, it might be safe to assume Murphy’s goals have been met and Axel Foley’s newest adventure will be a worthwhile flick.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foleywill be released by Netflix.
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