Action comedy franchise returning to the big screen.
Deadline is hearing word that Eddie Murphy (‘Tower Heist,’ ‘Shrek,’ ‘Dreamgirls’) is set to reprise his role as street-smart Detroit detective Axel Foley for a fourth outing of the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise.
American network CBS recently teamed with screenwriter/producer Shawn Ryan (‘The Shield,’ ‘Terriers’) to revive the franchise as a TV series, ordering a pilot focused on Foley’s son (played by Brandon T. Jackson) with Murphy onboard for a smaller, cameo-sized role. Although the small screen spin-off was not picked up, Murphy’s “scene-stealing turn” apparently convinced Paramount to reconsider its options for a fourth film.
Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec, who most recently worked on ‘Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol,’ and the reboot of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,’ are on board to provide the script.
The ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ franchise began in 1984, catapulting Murphy to international stardom. Directed by Martin Brest, the action comedy follows the freewheeling Detroit cop Axel Murphy as he travels to California to investigate his friend’s murder. The film spawned two sequels – all three collectively grossed nearly €566 million.