Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop franchise is one of the all-time most successful film series in the history of show business. Behind Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the original Beverly Hills Cop was the second highest-grossing movie of 1984. The film cost roughly $14 million to make and grossed a staggering $316 million at the international box-office. As such, the film inspired two sequels, released in 1987 and 1994.
Starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and John Ashton, Beverly Hills Cop traces the slick-talking Detroit police officer Axel Foley as he's transferred to glitzy Beverly Hills to find the man who killed his friend.
Originally Written For Sylvester Stallone (Beverly Hills Cop)
Before Eddie Murphy was cast as Axel Foley, Beverly Hills Cop was originally written for Sylvester Stallone. Stallone did not like the humorous tone or fish-out-of-water element of the story and eventually opted to make Cobra instead.
Before he passed on the role, Stallone suggested several script changes to accommodate his interests. He renamed Axel Foley Alex Cobretti (the surname he used in Cobra) and envisioned a wild opening scene, akin to Saving Private Ryan's epic Normandy sequence. Stallone also wanted an expensive finale in which he would have played a game of chicken with a freight train while driving a Lamborghini.
Actors Considered For Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)
Although the part was conceived for Stallone, according to super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Mickey Rourke was the first actor offered the chance to play Axel Foley. Rourke even signed a $400,000 holding contract to star in the film, but left when script revisions took too much time.
Other actors up for the part of Axel Foley included James Caan, Richard Pryor, and Al Pacino.
Most Memorable Lines Were Improvised (Beverly Hills Cop)
The most memorable comedic lines in Beverly Hills Cop were not scripted. They came as a result of rampant improvisation between main characters Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and John Ashton. Reportedly hundreds of takes were ruined because of laughter both in front of and behind the camera as the ad-libs took place.
During the iconic "Super Cops" monologue Axel gives in the police station, Eddie Murphy was exhausted while filming. He refused the crew's offer to drink coffee because Murphy abstains from drugs of any kind. However, he finally gave in, had a few sips of brew and his hyper monologue was improvised on the spot.
Tony Scott Had Affair With Brigitte Nielsen (Beverly Hills Cop II)
Following the smashing success of the first film, Paramount decided to hire the late Tony Scott to helm the sequel based on the good job he did on Top Gun the year before. Perhaps there's a reason he wasn't invited back for the third film.
According to star Brigitte Nielsen, she and Scott had an affair while filming Beverly Hills Cop II. Nielsen was married to Sylvester Stallone at the time, who turned down the original film to make Cobra instead. In Billy's apartment, a poster for Cobra can be seen on the wall.
One Of The First Movies To Be Filmed In The Playboy Mansion (Beverly Hills Cop II)
Believe it or not, Beverly Hills Cop II marked one of the first times that filming was allowed on the iconic mansion's premises. In a nice bit of cross-promotion, Brigitte Nielsen was the centerfold model in the December 1987 issue of Playboy.
Despite appearing in several TV shows throughout the 60s and 70s, the film also marks Hugh Hefner's second theatrically released feature film appearance after The Comeback Trail in 1982.
Featured Bob Seger's Only #1 Hit
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band is one of the most popular and successful American rock-n-roll bands of all time. However, Seger never scored a Billboard Hot 100 Singles hit until his song "Shakedown" was featured in Beverly Hills Cop II.
According to The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, The Eagles' Glenn Frey was originally set to record the song but had to bow out when he suddenly contracted laryngitis and lost his voice. Frey, who sang the "Heat is On" in Beverly Hills Cop, suggested his friend Seger replace him.
Shut-Down Production (Beverly Hills Cop III)
Critically and commercially speaking, Beverly Hills Cop III is by far the worst of the series. According to a Rolling Stone interview in 1989, Eddie Murphy was reluctant to reprise his role as Axel Foley in the first place, claiming he'd only ever to it if offered too much money to refuse.
In addition to several script issues and Murphy's half-hearted commitment to the film, the budget spiraled so far out of control that Paramount had to shut down the production to get a firm grasp on the film. The budget ballooned from $55 million to $70 million, with $15 million going to Murphy's salary.
Sequel Ideas Set Overseas (Beverly Hills Cop III)
Several ideas for a third franchise entry were considered but ultimately discarded. One that picked up more steam than others was a plot in which Axel Foley travels overseas to work on a criminal case with a Scotland Yard detective, played by Sean Connery.
Another idea was to feature Axel working in London with John Cleese as a Scotland Yard officer. A third proposal included Foley tracking down British gangsters based on the real-life Kray Brothers, whose criminal gang known as The Firm was arrested in Detroit in 1968. Yet another idea was a franchise crossover with Crocodile Dundee.
Directorial Cameos (Beverly Hills Cop III)
Beverly Hills Cop III is littered with a slew of cameo appearances from little-to-well-known movie directors. For instance, the man Axel Foley cuts off while in line at the theme park is none other than George Lucas.
Other filmmakers who appear in the film in some form or fashion include Joe Dante, John Singleton, Barbet Schroeder, Arthur Hiller, Martha Coolidge, Peter Medak, George Schaefer, and famed animation artist, Ray Harryhausen.
Inspired Unproduced TV Pilot (Beverly Hills Cop)
Beverly Hills Cop's popularity persisted long enough for CBS to develop a TV spinoff series in 2013. Shawn Ryan was hired to pen the script and Barry Sonnenfeld was paid to direct the pilot episode.
Unfortunately, CBS did not order the series. However, Ryan claimed the test screening of the show was positive enough for Paramount to put Beverly Hills Cop 4 into production, with Eddie Murphy attached to star and Jerry Bruckheimer set to produce. In November of 2019, it was reported Netflix signed a deal to make the sequel.