Netflix has acquired the rights to shoot a new sequel to “Beverly Hills Cop” from Paramount, with star Eddie Murphy and producer Jerry Bruckheimer attached, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish announced Thursday.
The original 1984 action-comedy film, starring Murphy as a quick-witted, trash-talking Detroit cop who investigates his friend’s murder in Beverly Hills, was a huge hit for the studio — and spawned sequels in 1987 and 1994. The three films grossed $736 million worldwide.
Paramount had been developing “Beverly Hills Cop 4” for years — but pulled the project from its release slate in 2016.
In recent years, the studio has made deals with Netflix for completed films, selling “Cloverfield: God Particle” to the streamer for an early 2018 release and offloading overseas rights to the Natalie Portman sci-fi film “Annihilation” after a 17-day U.S. theatrical window. But it’s an unusual move for a studio to license its own IP for an unfinished film.
In recent months, Paramount parent company Viacom has shown an increasing willingness to make revenue-generating deals on its library of content rather than hoard those rights for its own internal streaming services as rivals like Disney, Comcast’s NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia have done.
This week, Viacom’s Nickelodeon announced a multiyear output deal for films and TV series with Netflix. And last month, the company sold the exclusive streaming rights to Comedy Central’s “South Park” to WarnerMedia’s HBO Max in a deal worth at least $500 million.
The “Beverly Hills Cop” deal also comes as Netflix has helped to revive Murphy’s career with its new release “Dolemite Is My Name,” which has generated awards season chatter. The star is also shooting the sequel to another Paramount comedy hit, 1988’s “Coming to America,” that’s due for theatrical release next year.
From Mister Robinson to Buckwheat, 10 Eddie Murphy 'SNL' Characters He Could Revive for His Return
Eddie Murphy is returning to his TV comedy roots.
"Saturday Night Live" recently announced the hosts for its first shows of the 2019-20 season and Murphy -- who was a "SNL" cast member from 1980 to 1984 and left a towering legacy behind -- is returning to host for the first time since he left (sans his brief and comedy-less appearance during the "SNL" 40th anniversary special in 2015). We aren't sure what to expect in his return. Could we see a revival of his popular "SNL" character Buckwheat or motivational guru Velvet Jones? Let's take a look at the possibilities below:
Mister Robinson
The timing of this return would make a lot of sense. The children's TV personality Mr. Rogers has been the topic of a tear-jerker of a documentary and an upcoming film with Tom Hanks and the Emmy-nominated Matthew Rhys "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood." Could we see Mr. Robinson take us to see President Trump in the Magical Land of Make Believe?
Based on a character from "Little Rascals," grown-up Buckwheat (Or as he would say, Buh-Weet) charmed "SNL" fans by reciting classic music with the harshest of southern drawls. "Looking for Love" was now "Wookin' Pa Nub." Let's get Buckwheat's to sing Billie Eilish's "Wad Nye" for posterity's sake.
Those who lived through the '80s (not me) might remember Gumby as the green claymation whose head looked like an eraser. But on "SNL," Gumby is just another jaded New York actor trying to get a damn sandwich. Rick Dalton from "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" knows the feeling all too well.
Imagine U2's Bono sitting down to talk race relations with rapper A$AP Rocky. That was what it was like when Murphy transformed into the legendary music Stevie Wonder during a sketch between him and comedian Joe Piscopo as Frank Sinatra in 1982. Piscopo, who was an "SNL" player with Murphy, has already commented on Murphy's upcoming return to SNL. He recently said:“Eddie is going to come on the scene -- boom -- at the perfect right time, man with the Netflix special, he goes on SNL, and you watch this, he will push the envelope, and people will just be blown away by how far he can push it… it's about time."
Unconventional interview shows are on the rise with Complex's "Hot Ones" grabbing every star on a press tour to eating progressively spicy wings, but one man (Eddie Murphy as James Brown) dared to take celebrities into a piping hot tub.
Guaranteed, Murphy as silky wig-wearing motivational speaker Velvet Jones can get you out of working Postmates and Uber and into being a "High Paying Ho." We're not sure if there's an app for that.
Murphy pulled out shades and a booming voice for this history lesson sketch, breaking down how Edward "Skippy" Williamson and Frederick "Jif" Armstrong stole George Washington Carver's peanut butter recipe. In the age of rampant meme theft on social media, maybe Martin can call class back in session.
Watch the classic improvised line from the sketch here.
Cincinnati Bengal Kicker Archie
Archie swears the reason the Bengals lost the Super Bowl in this 1982 sketch was because of an inside job, but his teammates have another idea. If there's a time to revive a sketch about a missed field goal, it's the year after a certain Bears kicker hit the post to win a team a playoff game for the first time since 2011. I digress.
Murphy and Piscopo had excellent chemistry, and Murphy as a grumpy, down-on-his-luck old man and Piscopo as a bar pianist made for a wholesome series of sketches about a different side of New York City: the lower class.
In a famed December 1984 mockumentary bit, Murphy went undercover in New York City as a white man, opening his eyes to what happens when minorities are not around.
The “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Nutty Professor” star will host “Saturday Night Live” on Dec. 21 — the first time since he left in 1984
Eddie Murphy is returning to his TV comedy roots.
"Saturday Night Live" recently announced the hosts for its first shows of the 2019-20 season and Murphy -- who was a "SNL" cast member from 1980 to 1984 and left a towering legacy behind -- is returning to host for the first time since he left (sans his brief and comedy-less appearance during the "SNL" 40th anniversary special in 2015). We aren't sure what to expect in his return. Could we see a revival of his popular "SNL" character Buckwheat or motivational guru Velvet Jones? Let's take a look at the possibilities below:
