I’ve seen Eddie Murphy’s return as Axel Foley in Netflix’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” and, since I’m under embargo, I’ll just say that it’s one of the better Netflix-produced action movies. Take that tea for whatever it’s worth.
What I also know is that this fourth ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4’ is going to be bringing in big numbers for Netflix. There’s almost no doubting that. Between the streamer setting its algorithm just right for people to notice it as an option on their account, and this being a much-anticipated sequel, it’s almost guaranteed to be a slam dunk.
Many wondered how much Netflix spent to make this film happen. We now have an answer. Deadline’s Peter Bart is reporting that ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4’ cost $150M to produce. I would imagine part of that amount is Murphy’s $20M salary, although I was recently told that it might have been upwards of $30M.
Yes, Murphy is reprising his iconic movie character from the 1980s. It’s IP. There’s a large enough audience for this film that I’m actually surprised Netflix didn’t decide to give it a theatrical release. It’s also not shocking to learn that Murphy and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are already working on “Beverly Hills Cop 5.”
Last year, ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4’ played very well with test audiences. It test-screened in late April 2023 and again that summer. A few folks told me that it was the best ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ since the original (since the last three were terrible, I agree). Of course, that doesn’t mean critics will be kind towards this fourth film, not that their reviews matter all that much.
The film is directed by Australian director Mark Molloy and stars Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kevin Bacon, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ahston, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot.
“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” is set to hit Netflix on July 3.