After nearly thirty years of being stuck in development limbo, ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4’ is finally on the horizon.
It’s been 29 years since Eddie Murphy last portrayed the iconic Axel Foley in his Detroit Lions jacket, and in 2024, he’s finally returning to the role in the appropriately titled sequel, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. This long-awaited sequel faced numerous challenges before production began.
In fact, the project spent over two decades in development limbo, undergoing multiple script revisions and changes in directorial leadership. Murphy himself took a hiatus from the spotlight before making a comeback in 2019. Despite the numerous obstacles encountered during production, filming has been completed, and the movie is currently in post-production. It’s slated for release in the near future. Here’s your comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Has a release date been announced for ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’?
‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ is set to debut on Netflix on July 3, 2024, conveniently timed for Independence Day. This release marks nearly four decades since the original movie hit theaters. Previously, the film was slated for release by Paramount Pictures on March 25, 2016 (coinciding with the release of Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice), but it was removed from the release schedule in 2015.
Will ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ be available in cinemas or on streaming platforms?
While the initial three movies in the Beverly Hills Cop series were distributed by Paramount and had theatrical releases, the latest addition is being supported by Netflix, owing to a deal made between the studio and the streaming platform as far back as 2019. There’s a possibility that Netflix may opt for a theatrical release for the film, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
Netflix has previously given some of its major titles theatrical releases, such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which, like this film, was also a sequel to a theatrically released movie. The teaser trailer suggests that the film will be exclusively available on Netflix, but this could potentially change.
Has a trailer been released for ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’?
Netflix unveiled the initial teaser trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on December 14, 2023. Accompanied by Harold Faltermeyer’s famous theme song “Axel F,” the teaser provides a glimpse of the returning cast and introduces new characters, although it doesn’t disclose much about the plot.
In April 2023, Netflix offered a sneak peek of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, showcasing Detroit Lions’ Quarterback Jared Goff donning Axel Foley’s iconic jacket and drawing comparisons between himself and the character.
Who makes up the cast of ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’?
Could there be a Beverly Hills Cop sequel without Eddie Murphy? Simply put, no. Murphy returns as the wise-cracking Detroit cop Axel Foley, marking his fourth appearance in the role (or fifth if you count the unaired 2013 TV pilot). Beyond Beverly Hills Cop, Murphy is renowned for voicing Donkey in the Shrek series and for his roles in Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Trading Places, Dr. Dolittle, Bowfinger, Harlem Nights, 48 Hrs, Boomerang, and Dreamgirls, for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
After stepping back from the spotlight following the underperformance of his 2012 comedy A Thousand Words, Murphy starred in the indie film Mr. Church in 2016 and portrayed Rudy Ray Moore in the 2019 biopic Dolemite Is My Name. Recently, he has also starred in Coming 2 America, You People, and Candy Cane Lane.
Murphy had expressed his reluctance about doing a sequel back in 2015. However, once Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of the original three films, returned to the project, Murphy was eager to rejoin. He told Collider’s Steve Weintraub
Murphy isn’t the only returning cast member. Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot are all confirmed to reprise their roles as Billy Rosewood, Jeffrey Friedman, John Taggart, and Serge, respectively. While Reinhold, Ashton, and Pinchot appeared in all three previous films,
Reiser did not appear in the third, making his return a pleasant surprise. Newcomers to the franchise include Taylour Paige (Zola), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception), and Kevin Bacon (Footloose). Paige will portray Foley’s estranged daughter, Jane Saunders, a criminal defense attorney. Gordon-Levitt will play Foley’s new partner, Bobby Abbott, and Bacon will take on the role of Grant, the captain of the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Who is behind the making of ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’?
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will be directed by Mark Molloy, marking his feature film directorial debut. Although Molloy is new to the world of feature films, he has had a successful career directing commercials for brands like Apple, Go Daddy, and Nissan. He wasn’t the first director attached to the project; other filmmakers, including Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) and Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life), were previously involved. Murphy, along with Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Melissa Reid, is also serving as a producer for the film.
Bruckheimer, a highly prolific producer in Hollywood, has not only produced the previous Beverly Hills Cop installments but also blockbuster franchises like Top Gun, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys, and National Treasure. The screenplay is penned by Will Beall, a former LAPD officer known for his work on Aquaman and Gangster Squad, as well as by Tom Gormicon and Kevin Etten, the screenwriters of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
