Fans ofBeverly Hills Cop’s Axel Foley may notice something missing from theNetflixsequel to the ’80s comedy-action franchise:Eddie Murphy’s iconic laugh. As a fixture of the original Beverly Hills Cop movies, Murphy recently revealed in an interview withCBRthat there will be no familiar laughing from Foley this time around, as he forced himself to stop using what was actually his natural laugh.
Just like many other celebrities, Murphy has often found himself on the receiving end of some hilarious, if less than complimentary, impersonations. While reflecting on one of Axel Foley’s most recognizable traits – which in turn was one of his own – he explained how he made a conscious effort to change the way he laughed because he began to worry that it could end up being what he was known for rather than his acting. He said:
“In the 80s, I was like, ‘I don’t want to be known for a laugh.’ That’s all they did was that laugh… It was like, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m going to stop laughing.’ I forced myself to stop laughing, which is really an unnatural thing. You laugh, and it’s like, ‘I have to stop laughing like that.’ And now I don’t laugh like that anymore.”
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley is the fourth film in the popular comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy returns as Axel Foley in the Netflix film alongside returning cast members Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and Bronson Pinchot as Serge. Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star in the sequel as new characters.
While Murphy may not be laughing like he used to,he has slipped right back into his former roleinBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F.Murphy is not the only one returning for the movie, either, with franchise veterans Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot, also returning for another round of action-comedy that – regardless of how the reviews turn out – will likely surge straight to the top of the Netflix chart on July 3.
Eddie Murphy is Returning to The Shrek Franchise
While Murphy may have been toning down his laughter for several movies, one film that will likely bring out his old, over the top guffaw will be his return as Donkey in not onlyShrek 5, but the long-in-development Donkey spin-off project too. Murphy recently shared an update on the progress of the two new Shrek projects, tellingCollider:
“We started doing Shrek 4 or [Shrek] 5 months ago. I did this [Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F], I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year, we’ll finish it up. Shrek is coming out, and Donkey’s gonna have his own movie. We’re gonna do Donkey as well. So we’re gonna do a Shrek, and we’re doing a Donkey [movie].”
Eddie Murphy Gets Real on Why Beverly Hills Cop 3 Didn’t Work: ‘Axel Didn’t Have Any Skin in the Game’
Eddie Murphy, who is set to return as Axel Foley next month, also says Beverly Hills Cop 3 didn’t work because of an overused genre cliché.
Murphy continued to suggest thatShrek 5will arrive in cinemas some time in 2025, which certainly came as a surprise to many fans. It has been 14 years since Shrek last hit the big screen inShrek Forever After, and after so long, there is always a question of whether there is still an audience out there for another Shrek movie. Any such doubts were quelled in 2022 withthe release ofPuss in Boots: The Last Wish, which delivered very positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and took an impressive $485 million at the box office.
After several years in the wilderness, Eddie Murphy looks set for a career resurgence, and that will all begin with the release ofBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fon Netflix on July 3.
