Fourteen years following the tragic passing of his brother Dan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt found a meaningful avenue to honor his memory — by co-starring in Eddie Murphy’s upcoming film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. The late Daniel Gordon-Levitt was an avid admirer of Murphy’s comedic brilliance, particularly in Saturday Night Live and movies such as Coming to America and the original Beverly Hills Cop. Indeed, it was Daniel who introduced the young Joseph to Murphy’s flamboyant humor and talent.
In a heartfelt interaction, Gordon-Levitt shared his emotional connection to Murphy’s work. “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,” the actor recounted.
In the new Netflix film, Murphy reprises his iconic role of Axel Foley for the fourth time, returning to Beverly Hills to protect his daughter and team up with a fresh face in Detective Bobby Abbott, portrayed by Gordon-Levitt. Together, they set out to crack the case and bring justice to the streets of the upscale Californian city.
Off-screen, the dynamics between Murphy and Gordon-Levitt were equally compelling, united by their mutual love for music. Murphy, who has released three studio albums and several hit singles, often reminisced about his chart-topping “Party All the Time.” Gordon-Levitt, known for his musical talents and live performances, including his role as a guitarist in last year’s charming romance Flora and Son, found common ground with Murphy. Reflecting on their interactions, Gordon-Levitt revealed, “We actually talked about music probably more than anything else on set! 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.”
At the world premiere of the film held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, Gordon-Levitt took time to reflect on his experiences. Playing the sidekick to a legendary character like Axel Foley evoked memories of his earlier roles, particularly his stint as John Blake/Robin in Christopher Nolan’s 2012 superhero opus, The Dark Knight Rises. “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.”
While discussing his passion for directing, Gordon-Levitt hinted at future plans. “It’s been 11 years since Don Jon; does he have plans to helm a film 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 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F was a heartfelt journey back to the roots that made the franchise a blockbuster hit. Reflecting on the previous films, Murphy noted, “The third film (1994) wasn’t as strong as the first two. But 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.”
Murphy is confident that the buddy cop-action-comedy genre still holds its charm. “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,” he exclaimed.
The actor also reminisced about his transformation over the years, “Of course, I’m not the same person anymore! When I did the first movie, I had just turned a legal adult at 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!”
Nonetheless, one aspect that has remained constant is Murphy’s camaraderie with his original co-stars from the Beverly Hills Cop series—Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot—all of whom return for this fourth film. “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…”
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is set for release on July 3 on Netflix, promising a nostalgic yet refreshing ride for fans and newcomers alike.
