It’s “Back to the Future” week at Netflix , literally. Not only is Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 classic time travel comedy the #6 film at the streamer, but one of the decade’s most iconic characters is back with the just-released “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” #1 there. Picking up theatrical franchises isn’t unprecedented for the streamer.
Netflix produced the second “Knives Out” film and is currently in production on the third. Previously, the company took shots at the “Cloverfield” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” series — to little impact. Netflix has continued some Tyler Perry series.
But “Beverly Hills Cop” is a whole other level in terms of previous iconic success. The 1984 original was one of the biggest comedy hits ever released, with an adjusted domestic gross of over $600 million. A fourth film has been in the works for years, with Murphy, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and Netflix joining forces to license “Beverly Hills Cop” from Paramount (as well as a possible sequel).
The immediate success is no surprise. As always with Netflix, the success of an initial #1 without traffic data and, more importantly, seeing the length of interest is still to be determined. But the success of “Axel F” suggests continued franchise potential ahead, and a new content source.
Netflix, however, is at a disadvantage compared to Warner Bros. (let’s say “Lethal Weapon”) or Universal (“Back to the Future”) if the streamer wanted to pursue a similar pat.
