WTF Happened to Beverly Hills Cop III?

After decades in development, Beverly Hills Cop 4, which is officially titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, is finally in production. Netflix is setting this up to be one of their big blockbusters for 2023, which is only fitting considering that the first Beverly Hills Cop was the biggest movie of 1984 (beating Ghostbusters at the box office), while Beverly Hills Cop 2 was another major hit, ranking in the top 3 movies of 1987. But what about Beverly Hills Cop 3? Not only was that movie not a box office hit, but it effectively ended the franchise for nearly thirty years. It was so bad that many thought it was the final nail in the coffin of Eddie Murphy’s career, only for the star to rebound in a big way two years later with The Nutty Professor.

So WTF Happened to Beverly Hills Cop III? Plenty, with the behind-the-scenes shakeup radically changing the tone of what then had been a slick, action-packed series of urban action flicks/comedies. Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were no longer involved, and with them went the smooth action movie sheen, with John Landis the unlikely choice to direct the third instalment, which would be set at a DisneyWorld knockoff called Wonder World. By the time an orchestral version of the Axel F Theme started, audiences knew they were in trouble. The film tanked brutally, beaten by The Flintstones at the memorial day 1995 box office.

In this episode of WTF Happened to this Movie, written by Brad Hamerly, narrated by Mathew Plale and edited by Kier Gomes, we go into everything that went awry with this franchise killing misfire.

Do you think Beverly Hills Cop III is as bad as its reputation suggests? Let us know in the comments!

[skywalkerpotter]

"Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" officially fixed the franchise.

[mlong]

The problem with BH3 was it was missing the complete 3 Amigos. Foley, Rosewood and Taggart. Rosewood and Taggart were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Taggart it felt weird. It's like having the A-Team without Murdock.

[JessSimpson]

Man it's crazy seeing reviews of movies from your childhood. I was 11 when this movie came out and I thought it was the greatest movie ever. I'm gonna have to rewatch it again to see how it holds up.

[RyanAnthonyDigitalMedia]

I’ve always loved BHC3. It was the first one in the series I saw as a kid, so it holds a place in my heart. I also love the theme park setting.

[dcscreenworks]

0:18 To be fair, Boomerang wasn't "box office dud" as implied here. It was actually quite successful at the box office and one of my favorite films of 1992.

[Joez]

I worked on the movie. The cast and crew actually had a lot of fun making it. The big surprise for me was how professional Eddie was. Completely different than when I was on set of 48Hrs 2. Eddie had come a long way once he wasn't the golden boy anymore. He straightened out his act (at least on set). The general consensuses once the film was released was an overall pleasant experience. Not great, but not terrible either.

[mr_movieguru]

Liked all 3 movies to be honest. Yes even the third one.

[MaximusJohal]

Sometimes some movies are a product of their times, this is one movie that was very 80s, sometimes leave it alone and enjoy it for what it is.

[darowemcmillon]

Boomerang was not a dud. It's still a classic.

[shainewhite]

Next year, Netflix is making a fourth Beverly Hills Cop!

[abefroman]

2 was awesome because it was so raw and dark with some humor sprinkled in

[beans]

This is definitely least best one made. I never hated it, but it very much felt different...it wasnt gritty. It was filmed in that 90s clear film aesthetic. It didnt feel like the other ones. Still loved this movie regardless

[melanatedcosmicbeing]

The elephant suit scene was was actually funny to me 😂.

[jameswarner]

1 is on my all time favorite list.
2 is a great movie and a very well done sequel.
3 was kinda weird... but it had Serge so it gets a ok from me.

[lxbronx]

They just dropped the trailer. Beverly Hills Cop 4 is OFFICIAL

[billsimonis]

I didn't think Beverley Hills Cop III was THAT bad.

[flatlinerz]

I loved this movie as a kid saw it at the cinema when it came out and I remember when it would come on TV the family would seat down and enjoy it each time.

[HaightTheGreat]

That little boy laughing is my favorite part of the whole movie.

[JayFingers]

“The Distinguished Gentleman” wasn’t a Paramount production. It was released by Disney’s Hollywood Pictures. 🧐

[tosinbalogun]

I loved all the Beverly Hills series as a kid, especially no.3. Used to watch it back to back.
“That’s not Okie Dokie”
I’m going to watch them back with my kids.