The Beverly Hills cop TV series is now a little bit closer to becoming a reality. The project, which is being developed by Eddie Murphy and seasoned cop-drama showrunner Shawn Ryan (The Unit, The Shield) has earned itself a pilot production commitment at major network. And we also have an update on the plot of the potential series.
Just last week, we learned that a project was in the works to bring the popular action-comedy Beverly HIlls Cop to the small screen, and that Eddie Murphy and Shawn Ryan were working on it together. Today, Deadline has reported that CBS has nabbed the project, giving it a pilot production commitment.
The site goes on to confirm some of the speculated details on the plot of the project, describing it as a sequel to the trilogy, which would follow Axel Foley's son.
The proposed series has a similar fish-out-of-water setup and centers on Axel Foley’s blue-collar police officer son, Aaron, who helps take down the criminal elements of the rich and famous in Beverly Hills while trying to escape the shadow of his larger-than-life father.
A sequel seems like a great way to go, not only because the update to the story will feel more organic - and allow Shawn Ryan and the other writers to develop the lead as a new character (rather than being tied to following Murphy's version of Foley) - but also because it'll allow the original Axel Foley to make an appearance or two. Eddie Murphy will be reprising his role as Foley in the pilot, and should it go to series, he'll play a recurring role.
Deadline doesn't mention whether there will be any kind of "buddy cop" element to the show, as was previously reported, but that's still a possibility, I'm sure. Aaron Foley could need a partner, right? CBS seems like a good fit for this project, as it's described as a light procedural, and those tend to flourish there. While we wait for word on whether or not CBS wants to move forward with this, it'll be very interesting to see who's cast in the role of Aaron (and the other characters).
