Eddie Murphy has given an update on a potential Beverly Hills Cop 4, and it sounds like another sequel won’t be happening anytime soon. The comedian starred in the ’80s buddy cop comedy directed by Martin Brest as a cop from Detroit on vacation in Beverly Hills. The first movie grossed $234 million at the box office, leading to two Beverly Hills Cop sequels in 1987 and 1994.
In Beverly Hills Cop, Axel Foley (Murphy) heads west to California to investigate the murder of his childhood best friend Mikey, who worked as a security guard in the notoriously ritzy neighborhood of Beverly Hills. Failing to get authorization from his boss, Inspector Douglas Todd (Gilbert R. Hill), Foley goes undercover. As he digs into the case, Foley raises the suspicion of detectives at the local office, but Foley’s superior skills as a cop have him outwitting his tail at all turns. The first movie is equal parts action and comedy, as Murphy replaced Sylvester Stallone in the lead role at the last minute. Beverly Hills Cop 2 and 3 double down on Murphy’s comedic talent as the cornerstone of the series, with each movie bringing in new writers and directors.
In an episode on Showtime’s YouTube channel, Murphy spoke with late-night talk show hosts Desus Nice and The Kid Mero about the possibility of a fourth movie last week. The duo is currently conducting interviews for Desus & Mero virtually and asked Murphy about this year’s Coming 2 America reboot as well as Beverly Hills Cop. Like many fans of the latter series, the hosts were eager to know whether a fourth movie might be in the cards. Murphy isn’t explicitly against the idea of adding another installment, but the actor made it clear that he isn’t interested in cashing in on a lazy revisitation unless he feels the material is worth making:
“They’ve been trying to make another Beverly Hills Cop for 15 years now. Right now, Netflix has it, and they’re trying to develop a script. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing next. But, I’m not doing nothing until the script is right.”
Studios and streaming services were unsurprisingly eager to reboot the successful franchise, and it was announced in 2019 that Paramount Pictures and Netflix had entered a one-time license deal for another movie. As Murphy mentioned, Netflix now has exclusive rights to Beverly Hills Cop 4 with Murphy and original producer Jerry Bruckheimer. If it gets made, then there’s also an option a sequel, a.k.a. Beverly Hills Cop 5. Paramount has been developing a sequel and has previously attempted a few reboots, including a TV show that never panned out. Brett Ratner was attached at one point as director.
There’s no doubt that Beverly Hills Cop 4 would be a streaming success with a wide viewership of old fans and new audiences likely interested in seeing Murphy’s latest. While many would be excited to see another movie come out as soon as possible, Murphy’s esteemed legacy is based not just on his talent but on his artistic integrity. If and when another sequel does happen, fans can rest assured that its star is invested in the project. Murphy already said back in 2014 that the movie will shoot in Detroit as a way of generating revenue for the city, so that may provide some clues about where the script could be going.
