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While Eddie Murphy rose to prominence in the mid-1980s with his comedic performances, he faced major competition from one of the industry’s greatest action heroes, Sylvester Stallone. Although Murphy and Stallone worked on completely different genres, the latter retaliated against the SNL member for theBeverly Hills Copfranchise.
Apparently, the buddy-cop comedy movieBeverly Hills Copinitially chose Sylvester Stallone to play the role of Axel Foley. However, due to his interference with the script and desire to increase the budget, Stallone was replaced by Eddie Murphy. But years later, theRambostar retaliated with his own $160M movie involving a similar character to that of Axel Foley.
Also read:Shrek Star Eddie Murphy’s $200M Fortune Makes Him Immune to Relentless Box Office Bombs: “The check movies are over for me”
Sylvester Stallone Was The Initial Choice ForBeverly Hills Cop
While Eddie Murphy struggled to find prominence in the entertainment industry during the early 1980s, Sylvester Stallone was already an established actor, following his appearance inRamboandRocky. Thus, Stallone always came as the initial choice for most movies. Much like he was chosen for the role of Axel Foley in theBeverly Hills Copfranchise.
Although the lead role in the franchise was later played byEddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone was among the early contenders who bagged the role in 1984. After becoming a household name due to his impressive skills in penning down theRockyscript in 3 days, Stallone was selected as producers expected him to ride theBeverly Hills Copfranchise to its success.
However, the process didn’t seem as smooth as the directors and producers expected it to be with Sylvester Stallone in the house. Evidently, the action hero, with his previous experience as an accomplished scriptwriter, interfered a lot with the comedy movie script. Willing to transform the comedy film into a violent picture to fit the role better due to his hard-earned reputation as an action hero, Stallone seemingly exceeded the budget of the movie.
Also read:MGM Reportedly Wants Eddie Murphy as Race-Swapped Inspector Jacques Clouseau in $378M ‘Pink Panther’ Reboot
Sylvester Stallone Retaliated With His Own $160M Movie
Although Sylvester Stallone excelled among his competitors during the audition and bagged the role of Axel Foley, his interference with the script and production budget led him to lose his part. While the actor tried to take away the comedic essence of the film, and drastically turn it into an action-packed movie, his contract was terminated.
Despite previously appearing in big-budget movies and earning his world-class reputation,Sylvester Stallonelost his chance to appear as Axel Foley. Evidently, Stallone even wished to change his character’s name to Axel Cobretti, for he believed there was more weightage to Cobretti than Foley when it comes to action sequences.
Nonetheless, since the actor was terminated from the project and was replaced by Eddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone retaliated with his own $160M movie. Taking inspiration from all the changes he proposed inBeverly Hills Cop, Stallone delivered his 1986 action-packed movieCobra. Apparently, inCobra,Stallone starred as the lead character Lieutenant Cobretti, whose name was inspired by his suggestion, Axel Cobretti.
WatchBeverly Hills Copon Amazon Video.
Read more:Sylvester Stallone Had His Eyes and Face Frozen Shut after Co-Actor Made Fire Extinguisher Explode on His Face
Source:CBR
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
