Hollywood producers don’t generally become household names on par with that of leading actors, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer has managed to accomplish just that. He’s helped bring to life some of the biggest blockbusters of our day, many of which spawned franchises that are still going strong decades later. His latest film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F just arrived for Netflix subscribers, and given Bruckheimer’s track record, it will come as no surprise that critics are calling it a hit. Earlier this summer, he also continued to revive the Bad Boys franchise with Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, and of course, he earned an Oscar nomination for Top Gun: Maverick last year. One would assume that this trend of successful reboots shows no signs of slowing down, so what’s next? He recently got real regarding the titles fans keep bugging him about, and the way he described one of them came as a surprise.
When I spoke with Jerry Bruckheimer during the Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F press junket, I asked which other franchise people have been pressuring him to revisit. As I should have expected, he didn’t have a singular answer, and ended up dropping three names:
It's always Pirates [of the Caribbean] or Top Gun. Or all of them, you know? If we get it right, they want to see them again. But, yeah, those are the ones... that’s another one, a lot of kids love National Treasure.
There are not a lot of shockers in this answer. There have been tons of rumors surrounding the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, from Johnny Depp returning as Jack Sparrow to Austin Butler replacing him as lead. At this point, we can’t even get a clear answer as to how many upcoming films are in development, so we’re very much in Pirates limbo. As for Top Gun, it seems like everyone involved is still basking in the spoils from the success of Maverick, so we shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry (though fans were certainly excited this week to see Tom Cruise with Glenn Powell at the Twisters premiere).
The only real surprise to me is that Jerry Bruckheimer implied National Treasure and National Treasure: Book Of Secrets are kid’s movies. I suppose I haven’t paid the first two films much attention since I was a kid myself, so maybe if I gave them a rewatch I would see why they appeal to a younger audience. Maybe this is why the ill-fated Disney+ show, National Treasure: The Edge of History, leaned further in that Hardy Boys-esque direction.
I prodded Bruckheimer to comment on the Nicolas Cage-led franchise, but he was just saying in March that he wants to make the threequel. Much like with Pirates Of The Carribean, however, we can’t get a clear story. While Bruckheimer is teasing Nicolas Cage’s return, the Ben Gates actor himself has said “probably not” regarding his own involvement. Only time will tell, and we will keep you updated.
In the meantime, however, you can see the latest Jerry Bruckheimer production, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F on Netflix right now. Our full interviews from the film are a good indication of how fun it is, and Eric Eisenberg's review of the fourth Beverly Hills Cop movie seconds that notion. As for all other news regarding 2024’s upcoming movie release, keep it right here at CinemaBlend.
