Beverly Hills Cop 4 won’t happen until script is right says Eddie Murphy

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Beverly Hills Cop 4 is still set up at Netflix but Eddie Murphy says he won't sign on the dotted line until they get the script just right.

Eddie Murphy was on "Desus & Mero" and the subject of the long in development sequel was brought up. Murphy seems keen on having that be the next project he jumps into but wants them to have a perfect script before he officially signs on to return as Axel Foley.

"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."

In 2019, Paramount Pictures announced that Netflix had picked up the rights for a Beverly Hills Cop sequel. It was also reported that Bad Boys for Life helmers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were being tasked with co-directing the film. Arbi gave an update last May about the project and expressed their excitement to work with Murphy and said that they were still working on the script. When speaking with "Digital Spy" Arbi said "We're still involved in that project, and there's a screenwriter now on it that's going to try to write a first draft, or a first treatment at least with the story. So we're going to see what the first version will be, but we're very excited and hope that we can work with another icon like Eddie Murphy. That'd be great."

Eddie Murphy is no stranger to waiting to get a sequel made to one of his hit films. Coming 2 America hit Amazon Prime Video just a couple of weeks ago and that took over 30 years to be come a reality. Beverly Hills Cop is a bit of a more daunting task because despite the first two films earning kudos from fans, the third film landed with a thud back in 1994 so I can imagine that Murphy wants to be very sure the project is up to par since his last outing as Foley wasn't highly regarded. 

Murphy first appeared in the role of Axel Foley when the original Beverly Hills Cop was released in 1984. Directed by Martin Brest, the movie followed a Detroit cop who travels to Beverly Hills, California, in pursuit of his friend's murderer. The film became a huge hit upon release and ultimately went on to become the highest grossing film of 1984 with a domestic total of $234.7 million. Beverly Hills Cop II followed in 1987 and was also successful, grossing $153.6 million domestically. The wheels came off the franchise with the release of Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994. The film was ripped apart by critics and only managed to gross $42.6 million on a $50 million budget.

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