The heat is back on as Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is heading to the big screen, with an all-star cast appearing alongside Eddie Murphy's titular character.
The Beverly Hills Cop franchise launched in 1984, which was later followed by Beverly Hills Cop 2 in 1987 and Beverly Hills Cop 3 in 1994. The films grossed a total of $712 million at the worldwide box office, with audiences turning up to theaters to follow the adventures of street-smart Detroit cop Axel Foley and his criminal investigations in California.
Netflix acquired the rights to produce the long-in-development fourth movie in 2019, with Mark Molloy on board to direct from a screenplay by Will Beall. Murphy is returning as Axel Foley and will produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Melissa Reid of Jerry Bruckheimer Films, while Charisse Hewitt-Webster and Ray Angelic will executive produce.
Keep reading for a rundown of who's in the cast of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley — and don't forget to bookmark the page, as we'll be updating this article with all the latest casting news.
Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley
Beverly Hills Cop 4 lingered in development hell for years, but Netflix and Paramount's one-time licensing deal put the wheels back in motion. Eddie Murphy was the first to sign up for the sequel as he announced he would be heading back out on patrol after he had wrapped production on Coming 2 America, the long-awaited sequel to his 1988 comedy classic.
Murphy received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in the original Beverly Hills Cop movie, after starring in films such as 48 Hrs. and Trading Places.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
As production on Beverly Hills Cop 4 got underway, it was revealed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt had joined the cast of the sequel. Deadline reported that Gordon-Levitt had landed a role alongside Murphy in the upcoming film but didn't mention which character he would be playing. Therefore, it's currently unknown whether he will be Axel Foley's friend or foe.
Gordon-Levitt previously worked with Netflix on Project Power and The Trial of the Chicago 7. He most recently voiced Jiminy Cricket in Disney's live-action remake of Pinocchio.
Taylour Paige
At the same time, Taylour Paige boarded the project, though her character's identity was also kept locked away in a filing cabinet. More details about how Murphy's new co-stars fit into the frame will likely emerge when the official synopsis for the film is released but, as the title suggests, Murphy is going to be front and center of the action.
Paige became an in-demand actor following her breakout role in the A24 pic Zola. She went on to star in Sharp Stick and Mack & Rita, and will next feature in The Toxic Avenger reboot.
Judge Reinhold as Billy Rosewood
In addition to Gordon-Levitt and Paige, original cast member Judge Reinhold is reprising his role as Billy Rosewood. He is reuniting with Murphy after appearing in all three previous Beverly Hills Cop movies. In the first film, he played a by-the-book Junior Detective sent to trail Foley, but by the third film, he fulfilled the roles of DDO-JSIOC and Detective Sergeant.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley marks Reinhold's first film in five years following his roles in Bad Grandmas, Highly Functional, and Lifetime TV movie Four Christmases and a Wedding.
John Ashton as John Taggart
According to Deadline, John Ashton is also along for the ride. Ashton starred in Beverly Hills Cop and its sequel as Sergeant John Taggart, Billy Rosewood's partner. The character didn't return for the third film, having apparently retired, so it will be interesting to see how he now factors into the fourth outing alongside his former sidekick.
Aside from the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, Ashton is perhaps best known for his movie roles during the '80s such as Some Kind of Wonderful and Midnight Run.
Paul Reiser as Jeffrey Friedman
The reunion party doesn't stop there, either. Emmy winner Paul Reiser is also back in the Beverly Hills Cop line-up, having starred in the first two films in the series as Foley's buddy and Detroit Police Department partner. Though Reiser didn't make it into the third film, he told SlashFilm it was an "honor" to return to the franchise and team up with Murphy again.
Reiser has had a busy time as an actor, having gained recognition in recent years for his roles as Gordon Gelman on Hulu's Reboot and Dr. Sam Owens on Netflix's Stranger Things.
Bronson Pinchot as Serge
Bronson Pinchot is another OG player who is returning for the Netflix sequel following his turn as sassy art dealer Serge in Beverly Hills Cop and its 1994 threequel. He didn't have a huge amount of screen time in the first film, but his character became such a fan-favorite with audiences that he was invited back for a more significant role in the third movie.
Pinchot has starred in numerous films and TV series since his acting debut in Risky Business. He was recently seen as Principal George Hawthorne in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Kevin Bacon
The franchise gained a new face when Kevin Bacon's name was thrown into the mix. Deadline revealed that Bacon had joined Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, but didn't share any further details about his role. The actor has extensive experience in the crime-action drama genre though, so he will likely fit right in alongside Foley and his old friends.
Bacon most recently starred as "Jackie" Rohr in the Showtime crime drama City on a Hill. He also had a lead role in Fox's crime thriller The Following, which ran for three seasons.
Keep checking back for all the latest casting updates for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/beverly-hills-cop-axel-foley-cast-roundup