Even if he really didn’t go away, per se, it’s clear that Eddie Murphy is back. After the successful festival launch of his upcoming Netflix film, “Dolemite is My Name” and the upcoming hosting gig on “SNL,” the comedian has successfully entered the public discourse once again, with people excited about what he has coming next. And according to a new interview, one of the projects on the horizon includes a long-in-development return to “Beverly Hills Cop.”
Recently, Murphy spoke with Collider and confirmed that not only is “Beverly Hills Cop 4” a possibility, but it appears that the film will be the next project he works on after completing the in-production “Coming to America 2.”
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“Yeah that’s what we’re doing after ‘Coming to America 2,’” revealed the actor. “We’re doing ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and then the plan is to get back on stage and do stand-up. That’s what I’ll be doing mostly is stand-up.”
He added, “These movies and ‘Saturday Night Live’ it’s kind of like…I’m looking at it as a bookend. If I decided I wanted to stay on the couch forever, I ended it on a funny note.”
The history of a potential “Beverly Hills Cop 4” spans more than a decade, with 2008 rumblings of a film with Brett Ratner aboard to direct. Years later, in 2012, the idea was morphed into a brand-new TV series featuring the son of Murphy’s Axel Foley character. A pilot was shot but the series didn’t move forward (though, we hesitate giving networks the idea of revisiting this project, as it sounds dreadful…). Then in 2013, the talk of a new film sequel came up again, with new writers and a new direction. That, of course, would fall by the wayside. Now, in 2019, we’re once again talking about “Beverly Hills Cop 4” with Murphy promising that it’s happening.
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Though we are quick to point out how the idea has been around for a decade-plus to revisit this franchise, to no avail, you can’t blame the actor for wanting it to happen. The first “Beverly Hills Cop” is not only a great film, but one of the highest-grossing R-rated comedies of all time. The sequel, though not as well-received as the first film, was still very popular. However, the third film was seen as a big step down for the series and has led to the indecision about making a new one.
Hopefully, the resurgence by Murphy, especially in light of his willingness to revisit “Coming to America” points to a “Beverly Hills Cop 4” that is closer to the original film in tone and style. We can only hope.