Kevin Bacon speaks on finally getting the chance to work with Eddie Murphy for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. A follow-up to the franchise that started four decades ago, the sequel is a Netflix film that shows protagonist Axel Foley trying to save his daughter when her life is threatened. Bacon steps in to play crooked cop Captain Grant in the film, who serves as the main antagonist for the movie. In addition to Bacon and Murphy, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F stars a leading cast including Judge Reinhold, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Taylour Paige.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Bacon opens up about his first time getting to work with Murphy for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Bacon offered high praise of Murphy, calling him "one of our greatest movie stars ever," and someone who "is a very relaxed and loose and present actor." Because of these qualities, working with Murphy had been on Bacon's "bucket list" for a long time, but his and Murphy's "paths never crossed" in the '80s or any time before now. His Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F experience was positive, as Bacon details below:

"He is one of our greatest movie stars ever. Our paths never crossed in the '80s. We never worked together. I don't remember even having met him — I'm sure we probably did, but I don't remember.

Eddie is somebody who is a very relaxed and loose and present actor. He comes in and famously does a lot of improvising. But, when he improvises, there's improvisation where you can really feel that the improviser is trying to go for a laugh. I never saw him trying to be funny either on camera or off camera, and he's still hilarious. To the point where sometimes I was about to lose it just because he would look at me.

I'd noticed that he will pick up on some little thing that the other person is doing or saying or whatever, and kind of put it back to them. It was great. I loved working with him."

Eddie Murphy Already Has The Perfect Idea For His Next Collab With Kevin Bacon

From how Murphy has spoken about Bacon, it sounds like this feeling is mutual. Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers last month, Murphy called Bacon the "perfect villain" in Beverly Hills Cop 4. With the help of Bacon, Murphy felt that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F had the oomph it needed to push it well beyond the quality of Beverly Hills Cop III, which he felt was a "little soft." Elaborating on Bacon's work, Murphy said that they had "a great villain in Kevin Bacon." Thus, it seems Murphy reciprocated Bacon's affection towards their collaboration.

Bacon and Murphy's on-screen collaboration does not have to end with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Amidst multiple projects that Murphy has lined up, including two films in the Shrek franchise, the comedian has voiced his desire to remake the 1963 caper comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. The original film had a large ensemble, so if Murphy made the film, he could choose a wide variety of cast members. With the pair enjoying their recent collaboration, Bacon could be one such actor.

In his initial statement about his It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World adaptation, Murphy expressed his desire to incorporate "anybody that was funny over the last 30 years." While Bacon is not known for his comedic acting, the ensemble would need a wide variety of figures, making his appearance still possible. Furthermore, the fact that Murphy wants to include high-profile comedians indicates that the remake, if made, would include a hugely talented and A-list cast, which Bacon would fit into well. With this film in the mix, hopefully Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F won't be the end of the Murphy-Bacon collaboration.

Source: PEOPLE