Source: collider.com/BY RYAN O’ROURKE
Murphy returns to the mean streets with John Ashton and Judge Reinhold this summer.
Nearly 30 years since viewers last saw him take to the mean streets in California, Eddie Murphy is ready to lay down the law once again this summer. Netflix has unveiled a new trailer for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the long-gestating, long-awaited return of the motor-mouthed Detroit detective Axel Foley, who’s older, wiser, and wittier than in his past three visits to the West Coast. This time around, things get personal as he takes on a new case with help from some fresh faces and old friends alike, all in the name of protecting his family. The new footage sees him back in action against a fearsome new foe as that familiar synth line plays.
Although the original trailer was focused on the familiar action and comedy of Axel F, this video explores more of the actual story behind the titular cop’s return to Beverly Hills. As his daughter Jane’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened, Axel is bound and determined to unravel the conspiracy behind it all. With so much time in between his last visit, so much has changed in California, and he’s just as much of a fish out of water as ever. Fortunately, he and Jane will have a new partner to work with in the hard-nosed detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as well as Axel’s old friends Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to solve the case.
There’s no making a Beverly Hills Cop film without Murphy’s Axel Foley, given that the role helped rocket the comedian to superstardom and is still widely beloved. For Axel F, however, it was also important to let the next generation shine. Paige, who previously found acclaim through her roles in Zola and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, takes on some major responsibility as Foley’s daughter, and director Mark Molloy understood that it would be a challenge to suddenly introduce the child of a character as beloved and dynamic as the titular cop. That said, he previously told Tudum that Paige possessed a similar air to Murphy that made her the perfect choice to join the franchise. “I saw that same glint in Taylour’s eye, that infectious spark and energy that Axel has, but also someone who could go toe to toe with Axel, which is a hard thing,” he said.
‘Axel F’ Brings the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Team Back Together
In addition to Murphy, the fourth installment in his comedy franchise will also mark the welcome return of Paul Reiser to Beverly Hills after the Aliens star sat out the much-maligned Beverly Hills Cop III. He’ll reprise his role as Jeffery Friedman opposite the also-returning Bronson Pinchot as Surge. Paige and Gordon-Levitt, meanwhile, will be joined by one other big-name newcomer for Axel F – Kevin Bacon, who will play the captain of the Beverly Hills Police Department, Grant. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also back in the fold, helping to finally get the Murphy-led sequel off the ground after many attempts dating back to the 90s.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F arrives on Netflix on July 3. The original is also currently available on the platform. Check out our full guide here for everything you need to know about Murphy’s return to the mean streets and see the new trailer below.
