Get ready to crank up the volume, because Eddie Murphy’s back on the streets of Beverly Hills. Netflix recently dropped the first trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the much-awaited fourth instalment of the hit cop-comedy franchise, with the legend Eddie Murphy “back on the beat”. Directed by Mark Molloy and based on a screenplay by Will Beall, Tom Gormican, and Kevin Etten, the upcoming fourth film sees Murphy thrust back into action.
The official synopsis for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F reads, “After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.”
Almost 30 years have passed since we last saw Eddie Murphy as the Detroit cop, and it seems like he hasn’t aged a single day; still rocking his iconic jackets with the same swagger. While the new trailer isn’t plot-heavy, it does tease Murphy’s Axel returning to the sun-drenched streets of Beverly Hills for some “running and gunning,” shootouts, and car chases.
The film also features a handful of returning cast members, including Judge Reinhold and John Ashton as local cops Lt. Billy Rosewood and Sgt. John Taggart, respectively. Paul Reiser reprises his role as Jeffrey Friedman, and Bronson Pinchot returns as Serge. We hear Reiser’s Friedman giving Murphy a friendly heads up, saying, “Watch your ass out there, OK?” Murphy shrugs it off, saying, “I’m gonna be fine. They love me in Beverly Hills.” Well, we’re not so sure about that.
The trailer also shows a random Beverly Hills mother directing her child to take influencer pictures (because why not!), followed by action-packed chases and destruction. We hear Murphy joking about getting arrested twice as Reiser says, “Please tell me you didn’t get arrested again.” Murphy replies, “Twice, but I broke out.”
During a conversation with Tudum, producer Jerry Bruckheimer expressed that in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Eddie Murphy’s Foley is “the same Axel Foley” we all know and love. “He’s still on the streets. He’s still doing what he does,” said Bruckheimer. “Obviously with age you get wiser. But he still has the twinkle in his eye.”
Director Mark Molloy also agreed with this sentiment, emphasising, “Some of the funniest moments in Axel F are when Eddie’s improvising. For me, a big part of my job was to create the right environment, cast the right people around Eddie to allow him to do what he does best.” Murphy is also one of the producers for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F along with Bruckheimer and Chad Oman, while Ray Angelic, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, and Lorenzo Di Bonaventura act as executive producers.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is hitting Netflix sometime in 2024.
