‘Tropic Thunder’ star Brandon T. Jackson cast in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ TV reboot

Credit: Robert Benson/Getty Images North America

Well, if nothing else, at least it’s not a movie remake. CBS, America’s leading network for primetime police procedurals, is rebooting the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. In fact, the term “reboot” might be a bit of a misnomer, as it’s actually a continuation of the popular action film series that starred Eddie Murphy, in a role that helped launched him into the pop culture stratosphere.

Jackson will play Aaron Foley – a Los Angeles police officer, and son of Murphy’s big-screen protagonist, Axel Foley. The series will chart Aaron’s struggles in dealing with the criminal enterprises of the rich and powerful, while also attempting to step out from under the shadow of his famous father. The Sony TV project is executive-produced by Murphy alongside with Shawn Ryan (“The Shield”, “Last Resort”), and Murphy might join the series in a recurring role if the pilot (in which he reprises the role of Axel Foley) is picked up to series.

TV remakes haven’t fared well in recent years, from NBC’s failed Bionic Woman and Knight Rider reboots, to ABC’s catastrophic attempt at bringing Charlie’s Angels back to the airwaves. However, it’s rare, at least in the last several years, for a TV series to attempt adapting a big-screen success of the scale of the Beverly Hills Cop films. CBS is hoping the risk will pay off.

Full story: HitFix