Did 'Beverly Hills Cop 3' Ruin the Franchise?
By Favour Adegoke on November 1, 2021 at 5:08 AM EDT
Eddie Murphy's "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise was one of the most successful film series in the history of Hollywood. It was right on the heels of "Indiana Jones" and the "Temple of Doom," as it became the third highest-grossing movie of 1984.
The movie cost roughly $14 million to make and grossed a staggering $316 million at the international box office. As such, this inspired two sequels, released in 1987 and 1994.
"Beverly Hills Cop" featured Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and John Ashton and delved into the story of a man, Axel Foley, who was transferred to Beverly Hills to find the man that killed his friend.
Although It's been over thirty years since its premiere, this is a good time to read about the crazy behind-the-scenes journey that got Axel Foley from Detroit to Beverly Hills.
Sylvester Stallone Was Meant To Star As Axel Foley
Before Murphy was cast as Axel Foley, the movie script was originally written for Sylvester Stallone. Stallone, however, did not like the light-hearted tone or fish-out-of-water element of the story and eventually opted to make "Cobra" instead.
Before he passed on the role, Stallone suggested several script changes to accommodate his interests. He renamed Axel Foley to Alex Cobretti and envisioned a wild opening scene. Stallone also wanted an expensive finale where he played a game of chicken with a freight train while driving a Lamborghini.
Unfortunately, nobody acquiesced to his request, and he eventually opted out of the role. A majority of Stallone's envisioned script went into his 1986 movie "Cobra," and as a nod to Stallone's involvement, Judge Reinhold's character has posters of both Cobra and Rambo in his room in "Beverly Hills Cop II."
Eddie Murphy Netted A Huge Amount Of Money For His Role In 'Beverly Hills Cop 3'
According to Entertainment Weekly, Murphy netted $15 million for his role in the movie. It was partially due to his astronomical salary that caused the film to go over budget, stressing out studio bosses.
Ultimately, the film was a financial disappointment for the studio; it brought in only $41.5 million at the box office, compared to the $235 million that "Beverly Hills Cop 2" made.
Murphy took the film's disappointing performance as a cue to slow down his acting roles. The star eventually took a lengthy hiatus from acting and later disclosed in an early 2021 interview that he had become disillusioned with the huge paydays.
He Thought 'Beverly Hills Cop 3' Was Garbage
In a Playboy interview, the Saturday Night Live alum said he wasn't proud of the 1994 action-comedy "Beverly Hills Cop 3."
"The third Beverly Hills Cop was garbage," Murphy said of the film, which grossed just $42 million domestically.
He also felt that the Beverly Hills Cop franchise was integral to his legacy and affected how people viewed him. "Those movies, when I travel overseas, people say, in a foreign accent, 'Hey, Beverly Hills Cop! Axel Foley!' They call me that shit. All the movies I've done, and they call me that."
The actor was also asked about what happened with the failed 2013 CBS pilot based on the films, and he said the network balked when Murphy decided he wasn't willing to recur in the project. "I'm not going to do Beverly Hills Cop on TV," he explained.
Is There Going To Be A "Beverly Hills Cop 4'
After going on a hiatus for several years, the actor jumped back into the Hollywood scene in a big way through his leading role in "Dolemite Is My Name" before making his long-awaited return to Saturday Night Live.
More recently, the actor re-enacted his iconic role as Prince Akeem in "Coming 2 America," much to the delight of many fans. However, many are still waiting to see if Murphy will reprise his role as detective Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop 4."
At this point, it's safe to say that "Beverly Hills Cop 4" is just as anticipated as "Coming 2 America" was before its release this year. Eddie Murphy recently appeared on DESUS & MERO in a YouTube interview, and he was asked about the status of the film. From his response, it would appear that the project isn't completely dead.
"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," the actor explained.
Because of his desire to consistently churn quality projects, it's understandable why he doesn't want to dive into just any version of the long-gestating fourth installment.
Nonetheless, according to Movie Web, fans might be able to look forward to watching it sometime in 2022. However, an exact release date has not yet been stated.
