Eddie Murphy recently revealed he's been trying to get a TV sequel to his 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop off the ground, and it looks like there's a real chance of that happening now. CBS have ordered a pilot, which will follow the exploits of 90210 cop Aaron Foley (son of Axel, Murphy's wise-ass character from the three movies). Eddie Murphy is himself set to appear in the pilot as Axel, who has subsequently been promoted and now casts a shadow over his son. He may even recur throughout the series, dependent on his schedule.
There's clear potential with the Beverly Hills Cop formula as a weekly cop drama, although it's obviously unlikely to be as profane as the source material. The one thing that gets me excited about this project is the fact CBS have tapped Shawn Ryan (The Shield, Terriers, Chicago Code) to run the show. Ryan can put together great crime dramas, and working from the BHC template means half the work is done. I have to question the decision to have Murphy appear on-screen, though. He'll obviously draw an audience, especially if he's reviving his Axel Foley character, but wouldn't it be fairer on whoever's playing Aaron Foley if he didn't have Murphy's "ghost" hanging around him? Mind you, maybe that will play into the character's relationships really well. We'll have to wait and see.
No word on Judge Reinhold reprising his gun-crazy character Billy Rosewood... yet. Any suggestions for who could play Axel's son? And will he have his father's braying laugh?
