Beverly Hills Cop 4 Producer Shares What Makes Eddie Murphy Special

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is coming out next year and the movie's producer shared why Eddie Murphy is so special. Jerry Bruckheimer talked to Netflix's TUDUM about the upcoming comedy. He says that the gift of improvisation is one that can't be underestimated and Murphy is still at the top of his game when it comes to thinking on his feet. Bruckheimer said, "Some of the funniest moments in Axel F are when Eddie's improvising. For me, a big part of my job was to create the right environment, cast the right people around Eddie to allow him to do what he does best." That means we've got another instance of the legendary comedian operating at the top of his game. It's been a bit of a renaissance for Murphy here lately, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F hopes to carry that momentum forward.

"Eddie's such an incredible artist. He can do drama, he can do comedy – he can do anything. And he's the same Axel Foley. He's still on the streets," Bruckheimer added. "He's still doing what he does. Obviously with age you get wiser. But he still has the twinkle in his eye." 

"Detroit is a much different city than Los Angeles and especially Beverly Hills," the producer said of revisiting the two locales. "He still has the same kind of wonderment at the things you see walking down Rodeo Drive." 

Why Did Eddie Murphy Come Back To The Franchise?

The prospect of a new Beverly Hills Cop excites a lot of fans. But, making a new entry in the beloved franchise was no small decision for Murphy. Collider interviewed the comedian about his biggest reason for revisiting Axel Foley. It turns out that Jerry Bruckheimer's work behind the scenes assured him that this was the right move to make. So without the longtime Hollywood mover and shaker, we never get Murphy putting that Detroit Lions jacket back on at all.

"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," Murphy revealed. "Because we tried for years and years, maybe 10, 12 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," Murphy conyinued. "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."

The Long Road To Beverly Hills Cop 4

2023 has been truly wild. Axel Foley appearing in a new Beverly Hills Cop trailer fits right into that mold. Murphy first rolled into Beverly Hills at the age of 22. Imagine telling the Saturday Night Live alum he'd be making another one all the way back in 1984. However, let the star tell it, he feels no pressure about being back on the beat. "They've been trying to make another Beverly Hills Cop for 15 years now," Murphy explained to Desus & Mero on their show. "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."

Murphy recalled, "I didn't feel any pressure. When you're young, you kind of take everything for granted. So, that's all I knew. You know? Stuff started happening fast for me, so I didn't even think about it. Now, when I look back, I'm like, 'Wow! I was really young!' 48 Hrs, I'm 20 years old in 48 Hrs. You aren't thinking that at the time. But, now I can say, 'Wow. I was really young.' There was no pressure back then, I was just rolling with it."

Are you excited for Beverly Hills Cop 4? Let us know down in the comments!