Paramount
Eddie Murphy a.k.a. Hollywood's Most Overpaid has not had what we'd call a great run with the box office lately outside of the "Shrek" films. But he and Paramount Pictures (which also kinda needs a shot in the arm) aim to return the comedian to his former glory sooner than later by having him star in a new "Beverly Hills Cop" installment.
Yep, according to Deadline, Murphy's now been wrangled in to reprise his quick-tongued detective role for the big screen, following interest in his brief return to the character for CBS' derivative "Beverly Hills Cop" TV pilot effort which starred Brandon T. Jackson as his son (the show was not picked up, by the way).
Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec — the studio's current go-to duo for sequels and reboots a la "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and the in-production "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" — will pen the new installment, but no substantive deets are yet available for the story.
It's worth noting, however, that Murphy wasn't the only series original to make a cameo on the TV pilot. Judge Reinhold, who portrayed Axel Foley's good-natured partner Billy Rosewood in the first three "Beverly Hills Cop" installments, also made a showing. So, the odds are probably pretty favorable for his eventual return as well.
"Beverly Hills Cop III," the most recent chapter, was released nearly twenty years ago, so the series is certainly ripe for renewal. And with over $700 million banked from the comedy-action franchise already, this'll present an opportunity for Murphy give a little CPR to that dollar for dollar ratio of his.
