Summary
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Fstar Eddie Murphy explains why the wait for the film took so long. Set to stream on Netflix in early July,Beverly Hills Cop 4releasesthirty years after the previous movie came out, and will see Murphy reprise his role as Axel Foley after an extensive development period. Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot will also reprise their respective roles as Billy Rosewood, John Taggart, Jeffrey Freidman, and Serge.
Every Major Character & Actor Returning For Beverly Hills Cop 4
The trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F shows Eddie Murphy and the titular Axel Foley returning. It also shows glimpses of other series regulars.
Speaking exclusively toScreen Rant, Murphy discusses why the sequel took so long to make. For him, the reason was simple:the character of Axel Foley wasn’t evolving, and previous versions of the script felt more like a generic story. Later, elements where Foley returns to Beverly Hills not only to investigate but also reconcile with his estranged daughter, played in the film by Taylour Paige, helped make the movie finally happen. Check out his full thoughts on the matter below:
The reason why the movie didn’t come together for years and years and years is because, in all the scripts that I read, there was no evolution. It was just, “Axel’s coming back now, and he’s on a new mission.” It was like, “Okay, now this has happened.” It was just the generic things. “This happens, and that happens, then this happens, and that happens.” And nothing worked.
Then once they added the element where Axel was married and he’s not with his wife anymore, and they have a child and he’s estranged from his child, and he’s still in this job and all of his contemporaries are leaving… All he’s got is his job, and he’s got this horrible relationship. And the reason Axel’s back in Beverly Hills on the surface is cops and robbers, but behind the scenes, it’s really to reconcile with his daughter and all that stuff. Once we added that element, then we had a movie.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Seeks To Expand On What Previous Installments Did
The Past Movies Also Justified His Return To Beverly Hills
While it took some time to move forward,Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Fseems like it wants to expand on the titular character rather than send him back to Beverly Hills with no development, especially with thirty years passing since the last movie. In that sense, the fourth film follows what the second and third installments did,giving a deeply personal reason for Axel to return to Beverly Hills. InBeverly Hills Cop II, the shooting of Captain Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) causes Axel to defy his superior’s instructions and go back to Beverly Hills to aid in the investigation.
The third film began with the death of his boss, Inspector Douglas Todd (Gil Hill), and there was evidence linking the crime to the Beverly Hills theme park Wonder World. WhileBeverly Hills Cop IIIwas not well received by critics and audiences,Axel’s quest to determine who was responsible for Todd’s death felt personal, as the character experienced a loss that profoundly touched him for the first time. Now, it seems likeBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fwill follow in these footsteps.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah initially signed on to helmBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F,before the two decided to focus onBatgirl, which was ultimately shelved by Warner Bros. in 2022. The duo were replaced by Mark Molloy, who will make his feature film directorial debut.
Revealed through theBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Ftrailer, Axel returns as his daughter’s life is threatened. This will not only see him again in his iconic police detective role, but will also give him a chance to reunite with his child. The arc hopefully showcases an evolution from the last time audiences saw him, just like the last two movies did. With a thirty-year time gap, it wouldn’t make sense if Axel never changed, hence Murphy’s hesitancy to move forward with a fourth movie that didn’t lean into that.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Cast
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.
