Beverly Hills Cop 4: Eddie Murphy sequel release date, trailer, plot and cast revealed

22 November 2023, 15:15

The theme tune was era-defining.

If there's one thing we remember about the 1984 adult crime comedy Beverly Hills Cop and its sequels, it's the iconic electronic music theme 'Axel F'.

After the film became a major box office success, its theme tune was propelled to the top of the charts and discotheque dance floors around the world too.

Of course, Beverly Hills Cop would be nothing without its central character Axel Foley, played by the formidable Eddie Murphy.

Entering the prime of his comedic powers, Murphy brought the wise-cracking, foul-mouthed Foley to the big screen, and established himself as an international icon at the same time.

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Though its 1987 and 1994 sequels didn't fare quite as well, the franchise and its theme tune became synonymous with pop culture of the time.

Well, after decades of rumours about a return, Axel Foley will don his Detroit Lions bomber jacket once again as a new sequel has recently been announced.

So with Beverly Hills Cop making a crime-fighting comeback - with a hefty dose of bad language no doubt - when will it be released? Is Eddie Murphy starring in it? Is there a trailer yet?

Here's all you need to know about Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley:

When is the Beverly Hills Cop sequel set for release?

As it stands, there is no official premiere or release date set for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, though a 2024 release has been confirmed.

The previous sequels were released at the start of summer in May, so it might be a similar case with this too.

Production of the film has been mired with delays and disputes for years, as it was originally earmarked for release by Paramount Pictures on 25th March 2016, though it was pulled the year before.

Saying that filming for the new sequel commenced in August 2022 and eventually wrapped in early 2023.

Is it getting a cinema release or going straight to streaming?

The first three Beverly Hills Cop films were distributed by Paramount Pictures and all given a theatrical release, as most major movies were back then.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley however is being backed by streaming giant Netflix, after they struck a deal in 2019.

That said, it doesn't necessarily mean that the new buddy cop sequel will go directly to streaming.

Netflix's major film releases do often get a theatrical release too, with the likes of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery hitting cinemas first last year.

Is Eddie Murphy starring in the new Beverly Hills Cop?

What kind of Beverly Hills Cop film would it be if the legendary comic actor Eddie Murphy didn't reprise his role?

Given that the name of the central, iconic character Axel Foley features in the film's title, they'd be on a fast track to rile up the franchise's long-term fans.

Never fear - it has been confirmed that Eddie Murphy will return for the new sequel, despite admitting his hesitancy about a potential reprisal in 2015, though once he knew legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer was involved, Murphy came on board.

Speaking to Collider, Murphy said: "Jerry Bruckheimer, the original producer. When he got involved, and he started developing the script, and he knew what Beverly Hills Cop was supposed to be."

"When he got back involved, that's when it all started to come together. Because we tried for years and years, maybe ten, twelve years, and I must have read five or six different scripts, and it was never right. The studio was like, 'Let's go. Here it is.' It was like, 'It’s just not it.'"

"Jerry Bruckheimer got back in there, and he knows his shit, and he put it together. He did Top Gun: Maverick just last year, and Bad Boys is Jerry Bruckheimer."

"So we have that same brain behind Beverly Hills Cop, and he put all the pieces in place that were required for us to make a great movie. And I'm excited for people to see it."

Who else is starring in the sequel?

Eddie Murphy isn't the only original cast member reprising his role. It's been confirmed that Judge Reinhold, who played Axel Foley's bumbling side man Billy Rosewood will also return.

Paul Reiser, John Ashton, and Bronson Pinchot will all be reprising their roles as Jeffery Friedman, John Taggart, and Surge too.

There are also some huge names joining the franchise, namely Footloose legend Kevin Bacon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Taylour Paige, though none of their roles have been disclosed as of yet.

What’s the plot of the film?

Beverly Hills Cop Main Theme

Plot details for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley are thin on the ground at present, with Netflix keeping details close to their chest.

Of course, plenty of rumours have been flying around given that the best part of the original cast and characters are returning, but nothing has been revealed by Netflix so far.

Is there a trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley?

There's no trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley yet, but Netflix did reveal a production shot teasing the return of titular character Axel Foley, played by Eddie Murphy.