Axel Foley is coming back to a theater near you, and he’s bringing a brand new director with him. Mark Molloy, known for his work on Apple’s TV spots, will make his feature film debut helming the return of Eddie Murphy as one of his most iconic characters. Beverly Hills Cop 4, as it is currently being called, was previously set to be directed by the duo of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, though they eventually stepped away to focus on the production of Warner Bros.’ Batgirl film. Jerry Bruckheimer will return to the franchise as a producer.
It’s great to see the film attach a newcomer in the industry to tackle the project. The film will premiere on Netflix, but they’re currently is no set production start date. Originally, the franchise was owned by Paramount but the rights went to the streamer back in 2019. The franchise is an important one, as it was the one that put Eddie Murphy on the map back in 1984 before it went on to get two more sequels.
We’re seeing the trend continue of iconic legacy franchises returning with new sequels. Netflix has also become the home for Eddie Murphy‘s grand return as an actor after a break since the critically-panned Norbit. So, it seems like a match made in heaven for this to become the new home of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. It seems likely that the fourth entry is more a swan song than the build-up of a new franchise, which would be fitting as Murphy gives Axel Foley his last hurrah with this new entry.
Source: Deadline
