In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy was one of the biggest and most successful stars in Hollywood, in a series of franchises – that’s right, he didn’t have stardom from just one film – and he is rightfully one of the recent legends in the world of cinema. Among his most famous characters, detective Axel Foley from Beverly Hills Cop is one of those who has always aroused the greatest affection among fans, although the last film we saw is among one of the greatest rubbish ever thought up and produced in the movie theater. As the song says, “What is painful we simply choose to forget” and Netflix made an announcement with fanfare: in 2024, Axel Foley is back with Beverly Hills Cop 4.

Recognizing that the entire original cast is back, even if on the sidelines, is the height of nostalgia. Beverly Hills Cop fell into Murphy’s lap after Sylvester Stallone turned down the opportunity (not that he didn’t make zillions with other franchises) and earned the comedian not only absolute stardom but the biggest box office hit of 1984. Stallone’s reason for leaving the project deserves a comment and celebration: he didn’t want it to be a comedy, but a dense drama and an action film exactly like all the others he made (this version that he didn’t get to film was the basis for the film Cobra, years later). But Don Simpson (yes, anyone who follows Blockbusters knows what his signature means), who wrote the original screenplay, refused. The universe always aligns the stars!

One idea, many stars

If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles, you know that the film’s locations look like scenery, but they’re real. Every time I passed in front of the Beverly Hills police, I remembered Axel’s theme (I’m already talking about the soundtrack) and Simpson probably got the idea when he was taking the same route. In this case, it was in 1977, when he had the idea for a film about an East Los Angeles police officer transferred to Beverly Hills. Named Beverly Drive (the name of the street), screenwriter Danilo Bach went further and wrote the story of a Pittsburgh police officer, “Elly Axel”, who is transferred to California following the usual formula for police films that later fell in ostracism. In 1983, after the Flashdance craze, Simpson decided to revive the idea for his new project.

This time, screenwriter Daniel Petrie Jr. signed the text and his difference was bringing a humorous approach. The detective was now “Axel Elly” instead of Pittsburgh, he would come from Detroit, a capital known at the time as violent. Simpson’s partner Jerry Bruckheimer offered the role to Mickey Rourke, who signed a contract but had to leave when revisions were too late. Martin Scorsese and David Cronenberg declined the director’s chair, and the other stars to replace Rourke, before signing with Stallone, were: Richard Pryor, Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, and James Caan.

Although Stallone was the biggest name at the box office 40 years ago, Simpson wasn’t looking to make just another traditional crime film and managed to convince Eddie Murphy on the eve of filming. The final draft of the script, heavily revised to suit the comedian, was completed while they were filming. Murphy, at the time, was best known on TV for Saturday Night Live and had two big movie successes: 48 Hours (his debut), in 1982, and Trading Places, from 1983. Beverly Hills Cop made him one of the biggest of the business ever since.

A trilogy that didn’t end on a high note

The original film, from 1984, features detective Alexander James “Axel” Foley, who works undercover in Detroit, going to Los Angeles to try to find out who killed his best friend, Mikey Tandino. He only knows that the killer worked in an art gallery in Beverly Hills, but when he arrives at the police station he is despised by his local colleagues, “winning” inexperienced detectives Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart as partners. A trickster, Axel soon discovers that the gallery is a front for drug dealers and unconventionally solves the entire crime.

In the sequel, three years later and under the direction of Tony Scott, Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after the captain of the Police Department, now his friend, was shot, reuniting with Billy Rosewood and John Taggart and once again solving the mystery, arresting a weapons smuggling gang.

The big mishap came in 1994, 10 years after the franchise’s debut, with Axel Foley once again being taken to Los Angeles, in a theme park in Beverly Hills, which is the front of a counterfeiting network. In this film, he falls in love with Janice Perkins, who works at the park. Of course, he solves everything. Everything went wrong during this farewell: Eddie Murphy didn’t want to make the film, no one could come up with a decent script and the budget quickly went through the roof, never being recovered at the box office or DVDs, equally failing with critics. Hence the big surprise: why bring in Axel Foley 30 years after failure and 40 years after success? Netflix thinks the wave of nostalgia justifies it.

Beverly Hills Cop 4, which premieres in 2024, sees Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returning to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened. He gains a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and reunites with old companions Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to, once again, put an end to a conspiracy. For those who are fans, the trailer is exciting.

An unforgettable theme

In the 1980s, electronic pop was at its peak and soundtracks followed suit. The theme to Beverly Hills Cop, known as Axel F was written by Harold Faltermeyer and won the Grammy for Best Soundtrack of the Year. The simple, danceable theme was a worldwide success and has been covered by several artists. Obviously, I wouldn’t be left out of Axel’s return, and it’s a detail that anyone who knows the franchise appreciates. Incredible when you remember that the producers didn’t like the song and rejected it. Faltermeyer was only able to create the classic because director Martin Brest loved the theme, managing to infect everyone with his approval. Classic stories, right?

This return of Beverly Hills Cop could mean more films with Eddie Murphy in the action, although the actor has complained about the difficulties of doing chase scenes now that he is in his 60s. However, in his partnership with Netflix, recalling several of his famous roles such as Coming to America, among others, it would be obvious to remember Axel Foley. His bet is simple: recapture the magic of the previous films by including new blood. It has everything to work out!

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