Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley in first-look photo from fourth ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ movie
Four decades after the original “Beverly Hills Cop” movie premiered, Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley is back on the case in the upcoming fourth installment of the iconic franchise.
On Monday, Netflix released a first-look photo of Murphy – clad in Foley’s familiar Detroit Lions jacket – on the streamer’s Instagram page, accompanied by an announcement that “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley” will arrive next year.
“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley brings Eddie Murphy back in his most iconic role,” Netflix’s caption read.
According to Tudum, original “Beverly Hills Cop” stars Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot are set to reprise their roles in the new installment alongside Murphy, and will be joined by franchise freshmen Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Mark Molloy is set to direct.
The film’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Empire magazine in an interview published earlier this week that Gordon-Levitt is set to appear as Foley’s new partner, saying, “they are hysterical together.”
“You never know what you’re going to get” when Murphy walks on set, Bruckheimer said, adding that “it’s always pretty brilliant.”
“Every day he’s there throws you back to the ‘80s,” he said.
“Beverly Hills Cop” first premiered in 1984 and became a career-defining role for Murphy. It earned an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay and spawned two sequels – “Beverly Hills Cop II” in 1987 and “Beverly Hills Cop III” in 1994.
Starring Murphy, Reinhold, Pinchot, Lisa Eilbacher, Reiser and Ashton, the Martin Brest-directed first film follows Foley, a rebellious Detroit cop, as he investigates the murder of a childhood friend in Beverly Hills.
A specific release date or plot details for “Axel Foley” have yet to be released, but Bruckheimer told Empire that the sequel will stay true to the essence of the franchise, saying, “it’s about the emotion.”
“No matter how funny it is, how much great action it has, it’s all about the heartstrings,” he added.