Let’s talk about Eddie Murphy. The guy’s a legend, and his return to Saturday Night Live as host on December 21 was nothing short of triumphant. Fans everywhere lit up with excitement as Eddie brought back some of his most iconic characters and sketches. Remember "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood"? Yeah, that urban twist on Mister Rogers' classic? Or how about Gumby and Buckwheat from The Little Rascals? Iconic. And let’s not forget, Eddie’s not done yet. He’s already generating buzz for the upcoming Coming to America 2 and is hard at work developing Beverly Hills Cop 4 for Netflix. It’s worth noting that the first Beverly Hills Cop film, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, was one of his biggest hits.
A Trip Down Memory Lane: The Beginning of Beverly Hills Cop
Released in 1984, Beverly Hills Cop introduced the world to Axel Foley, a Detroit cop whose pursuit of his best friend’s killers leads him to the glitzy streets of Beverly Hills. Talk about culture shock! Axel was the epitome of a fish out of water, and Eddie Murphy played it to perfection—mixing comedy with thrilling action. Jerry Bruckheimer, the powerhouse producer behind the film and other hits like Tom Cruise's Top Gun, shared some insights in an exclusive interview with Closer Weekly. He said, "Beverly Hills Cop was an enormous success. People don’t realize how big it really was. It was the highest-grossing R-rated movie until recently with The Hangover. That's quite an accomplishment!"
The Skepticism Surrounding Eddie's Role
Back in the day, there was some skepticism about casting Eddie Murphy as the lead in such a big movie. Jerry Bruckheimer laughs as he recalls, "The conventional wisdom at that time was that Paramount was really worried about having Eddie star in it. For African American actors back then, there was this belief that there was a ceiling on how much money their films could make, especially in leading roles. But we believed in Eddie’s talent, and fortunately, Paramount eventually came around to our way of thinking." And boy, were they right! Eddie had already proven his box office power with 1982’s 48 Hrs., co-starring Nick Nolte, which pulled in nearly $79 million. Then came 1983’s Trading Places, starring alongside Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis, which grossed over $90 million. But nothing could have prepared audiences for Beverly Hills Cop, which blew everyone away with a staggering $316 million.
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The Sequels: Keeping the Magic Alive
The success of the first Beverly Hills Cop naturally led to sequels. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) saw Axel going deep undercover to investigate a gang of international munitions smugglers, while Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) had Axel taking down a counterfeit money ring operating out of a Disney-esque theme park in Los Angeles. Although the third installment wasn't as strong as its predecessors, the series continued to resonate with fans.
