Not all Detroit cop stories on screen fade as quickly as "Low Winter Sun" or "Detroit 1-8-7."



Yes, we all looked a lot younger in 1984, when Eddie Murphy first appeared as Det. Axel Foley. (Oh wait, were you even born then?)

Before those dramas entertained bored TV viewers, Eddie Murphy created a defining role as a protocol-flouting Detroit detective in three "Beverly Hills Cop" movies.

Get set for No. 4, according to Deadline Hollywood (no relation to us, though we like the name).

Eddie Murphy closed his deal to reprise his role as Detroit cop Axel Foley. This time Foley will be returning to his Detroit roots. It will be the fourth installment of the lucrative franchise. Brett Ratner, who is currently finishing up "Hercules" for MGM, is attached to direct the film. . . . The 'Beverly Hills Cop' script is still being worked on.

The producer is big shot Jerry Bruckheimer, reports Anita Busch of the entertainment publication. His Bruckheimer Films company has a new three-year deal with Paramount Pictures that starts next April.

The first project under the new deal will be a new "Beverly Hills Cop" movie — a reboot of one of Bruckheimer and Paramount’s biggest successes together when he produced the original with late partner Don Simpson.

The series started in 1984, with Detroit Police Det. Gil Hill serving as a technical adviser and playing Inspector Todd, Murphy's boss. The first sequel followed three years later and "Beverly Hills Cop III" came out in 1994 (trailer below).

Related coverage: An Autopsy: The Death of AMC's 'Low Winter Sun', Dec. 6 and More Films Due to Come to Michigan, Including Beverly Hills Cop 4 (Aug. 22)