Beverly Hills Cop 4: Eddie Murphy to star in 2016 reboot

The new film will be the fourth in the franchise and sees Axel return to Detroit

Eddie Murphy is set to reprise his role as the wise-cracking cop, Axel Foley, in a new Beverly Hills Cop sequel.

The new film, simply entitled Beverly Hills Cop 4 , is slated for release on 25 March 2016, according to film studio Paramount Pictures.

Plot details remain vague but entertainment site Deadline has reported that the Detroit cop will be returning to his roots.

The film has been written by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, who penned Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer told The Hollywood Reporter back in April: "We're going to take Eddie [Murphy] back to Detroit."

Bruckheimer added: "He's going to be in Beverly Hills … so we're going to have some fun with him."

Beverley Hills Cop was originally going return to the small screen with a television series helmed by The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.

The programme would follow Foley’s police officer son Aaron, played by Brandon T. Jackson, and it is believed that Murphy would have had a recurring role on the show.

A pilot was made for the series in 2013 and starred Murphy, who also served as executive producer, however network CBS decided not to pick up the show.

This new installment is likely to breathe new life into the franchise and get a new generation of fans humming the catchy theme tune "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer.