Eddie Murphy has talked for years about his desire to bring “Beverly Hills Cop” back in some form, either for a fourth film or on the small screen. Now, he may have found a collaborator to help him in that mission.
According to Vulture.com, Eddie Murphy, Sony Pictures Television and “The Shield” creator Shawn Ryan have started pitching broadcast networks on a “Beverly Hill Cop” TV series.
The website notes that Murphy would serve as executive producer on the “BHC” series and he would also have an on-camera presence in the pilot and possibly in select later episodes as well.
The exact nature of the “Beverly Hills Cop” TV plot and Axel Foley’s involvement in the narrative is unclear, though the report says that it will be a buddy cop show, with procedural and comedic elements. That sounds like a pretty good match with Ryan, whose credits also include “Chicago Code” and “Terriers,” proving his chops with both cops and buddy procedurals.
Released in 1984, the Martin Brest-directed “Beverly Hills Cop” grossed an astounding $234.7 million domestic, making it the year’s top-grossing movie. Daniel Petrie Jr. and Danilo Bach earned an Oscar nomination for their screenplay, while the film and its star were nominated for Golden Globes.
The 1987 sequel, helmed by the late Tony Scott, took in more than $153 million domestically, ranking as that year’s third top grosser. The song “Shakedown” earned an Oscar nod.
The franchise’s third installment grossed $42 million domestically and was the No. 34 film of 1994. It was nominated for a pair of Razzies.