After 25 years of lingering in development hell, Eddie Murphy’s long-awaited police comedy Beverly Hills Cop 4 is finally seeing the light of the day, as the actor secured a deal with streaming tyrant Netflix and Paramount Pictures according to Deadline.
Paramount, Murphy, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer inked a single license deal for the film, which will include a possible sequel if it meets the studio projections. The fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise has been tinkered with for quite a long time. Paramount’s franchise launched in 1984 with the titular film, directed by Martin Brest, and was followed up by two sequels directed by Tony Scott and John Landis in 1987 and 1994, respectively.
Following frustration with the third installment’s poor critical reception, Murphy publicly stated that he did not want the franchise to end on such a weak note and was actively looking to revamp the series. After discussions for a sequel failed to get off the ground in the 2000s, Murphy abandoned the idea and pitched a television spinoff for CBS in 2011 surrounding lead character Axel Foley’s son. The crime comedy/drama would star Brandon T. Jackson but the network decided to pass on the television series in 2013, forcing Murphy to move forward with the fourth film.
This Netflix deal already bolsters an existing relationship with Murphy, who recently delivered with the critically acclaimed Dolemite Is My Name portraying the blaxploitation star Rudy Ray Moore. Dolemite marked his first big movie role since 2016’s Mr. Church.
Leave a Comment