Sylvester Stallone’s Violent Modified ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Script Got Actor “Dropkicked” Out of the Studio
Sylvester Stallone is celebrated for portraying the iconic character of boxer Rocky Balboa in the Rocky franchise, which the actor co-wrote as well. The actor was appreciated for his commitment to portraying the character on-screen in a certain way. This dedication earned him an Academy Award nomination and he became the third actor to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor.
The actor holds a record of being one of the two actors who have appeared in number-one films at the box office for six consecutive decades. The second actor with the distinct achievement is none other than the iconic Harrison Ford. Did you know Sylvester Stallone could have starred as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop and it would have turned out very different? Let’s find out more.
Sylvester Stallone re-wrote the script for Beverly Hills Cop before he departed from the project
Actor Sylvester Stallone is one of the most talented actors, writers, and directors in the entertainment business. The actor was finalized to play the role of Axel Foley in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop, directed by Martin Brest. After Stallone departed from the project, actor Eddie Murphy was hired to play the character.
In an interview with Ain’t It Cool, Sylvester Stallone was asked about how his version of the Beverly Hills Cop was different from the one that was made to which he said,
“When I read the script for Beverly Hills Cop, I thought they’d sent it to the wrong house. Somehow, me trying to comically terrorize Beverly Hills is not the stuff that great yuk-festivals are made from.”
Stallone continued,
“So I re-wrote the script to suit what I do best, and by the time I was done, it looked like the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan on the beaches of Normandy. Believe it or not, the finale was me in a stolen Lamborghini playing chicken with an oncoming freight train being driven by the ultra-slimy bad guy. Needless, to say, they dropkicked me and my script out of the office, and the rest is history.”
The movie with Eddie Murphy received positive reviews from critics and audiences. It also gave Murphy the needed boost in his career.
Sylvester Stallone wanted to transform the comedy Beverly Hills Cop into a violent thriller
According to The Things, Sylvester Stallone wanted to transform the buddy cop action movie into a violent thriller and also wanted to change the lead character’s name. He suggested the name should change from Axel Foley to Axel Cobretti but unfortunately, the demands were not met because it drove the budget of the movie higher than Paramount’s limit. According to Collider, Daniel Petrie shared in 2012 to Money into Light that the studios gave Stallone an ultimatum of either doing the movie with their script or writing one of his own and using it for his other movie as long as it did not involve Beverly Hills Cop.
Just two weeks before the movie went into production, Sylvester Stallone’s contract with Paramount for Beverly Hills Cop was suspended and Murphy was hired. This actor took his script with him to write his character of Lieutenant Cobretti for Cobra, which was released in 1986. The script of Beverly Hills Cop was rewritten to fit Eddie Murphy.
Beverly Hills Cop helped actor Eddie Murphy set up a loyal fan base, with the audience loving the movie. The actor’s comic timing and commitment to the role were lauded by everyone and ended up making him a household name.
