Every day, AlloCiné recommends a film to (re)watch on TV. Tonight: Eddie Murphy’s cult film.
In 1977, producer Don Simpson imagined the script for Beverly Hills Cop. Scenario that continues to evolve over seven years of rewrites, until its final version: Inspector Axel Foley, an insolent and reckless Detroit police officer, arrives in California to investigate the murder of a friend. During his investigations, he discovers a vast network of drug trafficking.
Associated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson offers the main role to Mickey Rourke, then to Sylvester Stallone, who adds his own ideas to the script. But these are considered too expensive and the actor leaves the project two weeks before the start of filming. The producer duo then manages to convince a certain Eddie Murphy to take over the role.
Placed in the spotlight thanks to his talents as a comedian, especially in the show Saturday Night Livethe actor began his career in the cinema on a whirlwind. The Beverly Hills Cop became its biggest box office success, grossing $316 million worldwide (including 2.9 million admissions in France). Nominated for the Golden Globes in the category Best actor in a comedy, Eddie Murphy acquires the status of international star.
Director Martin Brest also produced one of the most important films of his career, named Best Comedy at the Golden Globes and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. Building on this success, The Beverly Hills Cop has two sequels, respectively produced in 1987 and 1994 by Tony Scott, then John Landis.
After which, the future of the franchise remains undecided for a long time. In 2013, CBS ordered a pilot episode for a series project on Axel Foley’s son, played by Brandon T. Jackson. But the chain does not follow up.
Finally, a new film is started by Paramount, according to a script by Will Beall, a former officer of the Los Angeles Police Department. In 2019, the production company announced that it had sold the distribution rights to Netflix for a fourth opus (as well as an option for a possible fifth).
Entitled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley in VO, the feature film, expected for 2023 on the streaming platform, will therefore see the return of Eddie Murphy in his legendary role opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Beverly Hills Cop by Martin Brest with Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton…
Tonight on 6ter at 9:05 p.m.