Fourteen years after the tragic passing of his brother Dan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has found a profound way to honor his memory by co-starring with Eddie Murphy in the highly anticipated Netflix film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Dan Gordon-Levitt was an unequivocal fan of Murphy’s groundbreaking work on Saturday Night Live and in iconic films like Coming to America and the original Beverly Hills Cop, and he introduced a young Joseph to the beloved comedian’s talent.
“I had a very sweet conversation with Eddie about how Dan showed me a lot of his work, and it was great to connect with him on that level. Eddie also has a nice big family, and we are both dads… so he resonated with me,” Gordon-Levitt shared.
In Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Murphy reprises his legendary role as Axel Foley for the fourth time. The new movie brings Axel back to Beverly Hills after his daughter’s life is endangered. He teams up with a new partner, Detective Bobby Abbott, portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, to solve the mystery. This buddy-cop dynamic promises to bring both humor and action to the screen as the duo navigates through the intricacies of the case.
Adding another layer to their off-camera camaraderie, both Murphy and Gordon-Levitt share a deep love for music. Murphy, who has released three studio albums and several hit singles, and Gordon-Levitt, known for his singing and performances—including his role as a guitarist in last year’s charming romance Flora and Son—found themselves discussing music frequently on set. “We actually talked about music probably more than anything else on set!” exclaimed Gordon-Levitt. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to jam or play music together though… which would have been cool. One day, I’ve got to do a full-on musical, maybe Eddie and I can star in it together.”
Attending the world premiere of the film at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, Gordon-Levitt reflected on his role in another iconic franchise—Christopher Nolan’s 2012 superhero epic, The Dark Knight Rises. In that film, Gordon-Levitt portrayed John Blake/Robin, a young police officer aiding Batman in saving Gotham. “Ah… of course, and they are both cops! Now I’ve got my Beverly Hills PD badge to go with my Gotham City PD badge, that I still treasure safely. It’s a fun commonality for sure, even though they are two very different movies and characters.
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The multifaceted Gordon-Levitt, who made his directorial debut with Don Jon 11 years ago, shared that he has aspirations to direct again soon. “I do love making stuff and I hope to direct a feature soon. But just a couple of years ago, I made a television series titled Mr. Corman on Apple TV+ that I’m very proud of; it’s an odd little beautiful show where I got to do everything I wanted to do artistically, in my own weird taste,” he smiled.
For Eddie Murphy, the return to Axel Foley was a labor of love and a chance to recapture what made the original Beverly Hills Cop franchise so special. Reflecting on the third film released in 1994, Murphy admitted it wasn’t as strong as the first two. “We weren’t looking at other movies from the genre and thinking stuff has changed. It wasn’t about sticking to the template per se, but more about getting back to it,” he explained.
As decades have passed since the original films, Murphy remains confident in the timeless appeal of the buddy cop-action-comedy genre that Beverly Hills Cop helped pioneer. “If you do it right, the Beverly Hills Cop movies work for any generation! The last 10-15 years have seen several action films with lots of visual effects and superheroes. But Beverly Hills Cop is a cape-less hero; he’s not Superman, he’s an ‘everyman’ who rises to the occasion and doesn’t play by the rules. People relate to him, and he’s the kind of guy you want to have a beer with,” Murphy grinned.
Murphy reminisced about his own journey from the relatively unknown comedian he was during the first Beverly Hills Cop movie to the global superstar he is today. “Of course I’m not the same person anymore! When I did the first movie, I had just turned 21. I wasn’t married, didn’t have any kids, and hadn’t traveled the world. So much has happened since then; now I’m in my 60s and have 10 kids; I’m even a grandfather. Whenever I see pictures or a scene from the first movie, it’s literally like reminiscing about high school for me… I was a baby!”
Despite the passage of time, one constant is the enduring friendship and camaraderie among Murphy and his co-stars from the earlier Beverly Hills Cop movies—Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot—all of whom return for this fourth outing. “We just got old (laughs)… But the cool thing is, all that stuff is reflected in the movie and script as well. Us getting older, having age-appropriate relationships, how we have changed now and are not the same anymore,” Murphy reflected.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, which premiered on July 3 on Netflix, brings together a blend of nostalgic charm and fresh excitement, promising to deliver the magic that fans of the franchise have come to love.
