Deadline reports that the CBS television reboot of Beverly Hills Cop has gotten closer to a formal greenlight, with actor-comedian Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) closing a deal for the lead of Axel Foley, taking over the role made famous by Eddie Murphy. Murphy himself and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan will executive produce the Sony TV project, which already has a pilot production commitment to be written by Ryan. He will also serves as showrunner.
Beverly Hills Cop is described as a sequel to the three films that chronicled the exploits of wise-cracking Detroit detective Axel Foley in Los Angeles. The series centers on Axel’s blue-collar police officer son, Aaron (Jackson), 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. According to the report, Eddie Murphy will reprise his role as Axel Foley in the pilot and may recur if the pilot goes to series.