HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Eddie Murphy is heading back to Beverly Hills.
According to Variety, the 47-year-old actor is set to return as detective Axel Foley in a fourth installment of the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, which turned him into a box office superstar in 1984.
The original "Beverly Hills Cop" grossed $316 million worldwide and led to two sequels, the last of which appeared in theaters in 1994.
Murphy reportedly approached Paramount Pictures with the idea, and the studio agreed the time was right to resurrect a franchise that has grossed $712.9 million worldwide.
Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the original triology with his late partner Don Simpson, is not expected to be involved in the latest installment, which will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura.
Negotiations are currently underway for Brett Ratner, the man behind the "Rush Hour" series, to come on board as the director.
Soon after making his big-screen debut alongside Nick Nolte in 1982's "48 Hours," Murphy struck gold in the role of a Detroit cop. His character finds himself dealing with a much different culture when he heads West to find the individuals responsible for the murder of his childhood friend.
Additional cast members in the franchise have included Foley's "friends" in the Beverly Hills Police Department — Judge Reinhold as Det. William "Billy" Rosewood, John Ashton as Det. Sgt. John Taggart and Ronny Cox as Lt. Andrew Bogomil.
Production on the new "Beverly Hills Cop" is slated to begin next year, with plans for a summer 2010 release.
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