Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’s Mark Molloy is now the latest in a long line of filmmakers who Jerry Bruckheimer has recruited from the world of advertising.

Having written or directed at least four commercials for Apple, the humble Australian filmmaker doesn’t consider himself to be following in the same footsteps as Tony Scott and Michael Bay, but acknowledges that Bruckheimer frequently finds new talent through commercials and music videos. Scott’s success with Top Gun (1986) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) is echoed in Molloy’s work on Netflix’s well-received legacy sequel Axel F.

While Molloy initially accepted a Bruckheimer project without hesitation, he later declined several scripts before settling on Axel F. “My agent called me one day and said, ‘Jerry Bruckheimer wants to get on the phone with you.’ I was excited, but none of the initial scripts felt right,” Molloy told The Hollywood Reporter. “Then he sent me Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Twenty pages in, I was hooked.”

Mark Molloy Finally Says Yes to Jerry Bruckheimer for Axel F
Pictured: Eddie Murphy in the set of Axel F

Molloy embraced the audience’s nostalgia for the Eddie Murphy-led franchise, playing the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack on set to capture the right mood. He focused on the first two films in preparation, deliberately avoiding the third installment and the unaired CBS pilot. Molloy even included a nod to the franchise’s least popular installment, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character remarked, “Not your finest hour,” referencing Axel’s 1994 adventures.

“I thought it would be a fun moment for fans,” Molloy said. “I’ve never seen [Beverly Hills Cop III], and neither has Jerry. He told me, ‘I didn’t do it, so you don’t need to see it.’”

Axel F introduces Taylour Paige as Jane Saunders, Axel’s estranged daughter. Unlike the 2013 pilot’s focus on Axel’s son, Paige’s character contrasts with Axel and is immune to his charisma. “She’s his kryptonite,” Molloy explained. “Her strength and character were perfect for the role, and I knew she could hold her own against Eddie Murphy after seeing her in Zola.”