Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F screenwriter Will Beall discusses how he cracked the script after the project languished in development hell.
After going through at least a half dozen big-name script writers and languishing in development hell for more than two decades, Will Beall finally cracked the story that would become “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which Netflix released worldwide last week.
Beall’s connection to the franchise runs deep. He fondly recalls seeing the original 1984 film when he was 12, describing it as “one of those experiences at the movie theaters I’ve never forgotten. I went to see the movie with my granddad and walked out of it feeling like I’ve been to a party with the whole audience.”
“I feel like there’s a very limited number of perfect movies were not a single thing I would change about them and the original ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ is certainly one of them,” Beall said. “So I’m coming to it first as a huge fan of the original and I think that’s the part of it. Axel is a truly iconic character, one of not too many that are still left kicking around in American cinema.”
The key, according to Beall, was balancing respect for the franchise and the legacy characters with the need to meet and subvert audience expectations. He explained, “You have to come to this thing with respect for the franchise and the characters and respect for the fans.”
Beall emphasized the importance of including certain “compulsories” – elements fans expect to see – while finding ways to surprise viewers. “There are certain compulsories right, like figure skating, there’s a Double Axel, there’s certain things you have to have and certain things that the audience expects and demands,” Beall said.
