Eddie Murphy Is Cautious About Returning For Beverly Hills Cop 4

For all of the superhero buzz that has stolen hearts and headlines over the past twelve months or so, there’s also another trend that has once again come to the fore in Hollywood circles: looking to old franchises in an attempt to reboot them. Mind you, it’s a tactic that doesn’t always pay dividends; whether it’s RoboCop, Annie or 2013’s Total Recall, it’s clear that this feat is a tricky butterfly to pin. Nevertheless, with the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road and Jurassic World looming on the horizon, it’s one that looks set to continue unabated.

And one of these properties in question is Beverly Hills Cop 4, which is primed to be the first entry into the crime caper in two decades. At least, that’s what Paramount and director Brett Ratner will be hoping for. But before that, the studio may struggle to lure back Eddie Murphy to reprise the role of Axel Foley.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the comedian-cum-actor touched upon his apprehension to return for a fourth installment. Rather than simply cashing in, Murphy is hedging his bets until the studio produce a genuinely worthwhile script.

Here’s what the actor had to say when asked about the status of the sequel:

“Nah, they still trying to get that script right. I’m not doing a ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ unless they have a really incredible script. I’ve read a couple things that look like they can make some paper. But I’m not doing a sh*tty movie just to make some paper. The sh*t got to be right.”

Alas, it looks to be that Murphy has had time to change his stance on which projects he chooses to star in. As a matter of fact, his involvement in Bruce Beresford’s upcoming culinary drama Cook will be his first big screen role since 2012’s A Thousand Words, following a series of critical and commercial flops. So, his caution about jumping straight into a sequel to an time-worn franchise is wholly understandable.

Currently, Beverly Hills Cop 4 is tentatively scheduled to release on March 25, 2016. However, can you see a fourth film succeeding without the involvement of the wise-cracking Axel Foley?