A fourth instalment of the 1980s hit 'Beverly Hills Cop' movie series is in the works, with comedian Eddie Murphy reprising the role of Detroit detective Axel Foley which sealed his stardom, industry media reported on Thursday.

Variety reported that Paramount Pictures will begin filming in 2009, and is eyeing a summer 2010 release.

The sequel reprises the hit film about a black, US east coast policeman's misadventures in posh, laid-back, lily-white Beverly Hills.

'Beverly Hills Cop', released in 1984, grossed 316 million worldwide and spawned two sequels.

Together, the three films in the series grossed some $713-million worldwide. The last was released in 1994.

The resuscitation of the hit franchise comes on the heels of the successful resurrection of Harrison Ford's 'Indiana Jones' which has become the top grossing film worldwide, after a nearly two-decade-long absence from the big screen.

AFP