Paramount isn’t abandoning its long-term relationship with Murphy, who starred in the recent release “Dolemite” after an extended hiatus from the big screen. The studio just wrapped production on the sequel to his 1988 comedy “Coming to America” with Murphy reprising his role as Prince Akeem, the pampered royal from the fictional African nation Zamunda. Set to open in December 2020, the film reunites most of the original cast, including Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones. It is being directed by the “Dolomite” filmmaker Craig Brewer, from a script by the “black-ish” creator Kenya Barris (who has an exclusive production deal with Netflix).
The deal between Paramount and Netflix is indicative of the current struggle in the movie business. With the streaming wars raging, studios are faced with answering the increasingly tough question of what will perform theatrically. In the past, films based on well-known characters and successful origin stories were surefire hits. But with streaming services changing consumer behavior faster than you can say Disney Plus, this is no longer the case. Sequels to “Men in Black,” “Godzilla” and “X-Men,” among others, have all disappointed at the box office this year. Paramount, too, got caught in the sequel trap, struggling with the recently released “Terminator” reboot, but finding success with the reboot to “Pet Sematary,” the theatrical version of “Dora the Explorer” and the musical “Rocketman,” centering on Elton John’s life.
“The Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, for one, has been a study in diminishing returns. While the first film was a phenomenon, grossing $316 million worldwide in 1984 (more than $780 million in today’s dollars) and establishing Murphy as a bona fide movie star, “Beverly Hills Cop II” (1987) earned $299 million and “Beverly Hills Cop III,” opening a decade after the original, grossed $119 million worldwide.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/movies/eddie-murphy-beverly-hills-cop-4-netflix.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.