Judge Reinhold Opens Up About the “Executive Murder Plot” that Stunted His Career
In a recent profile with Vanity Fair, Judge Reinhold, the beloved actor from the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, shared a candid story about the film that he believes derailed his career. Reinhold, 67, attributed the commercial failure of the 1988 film “Vice Versa” to a combination of factors, including the release of similar movies around the same time and behind-the-scenes machinations by former Columbia Pictures CEO David Puttnam.
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Judge Reinhold
Reinhold described Puttnam’s actions as an “executive murder plot,” citing the CEO’s desire to reduce the salaries of leading actors while increasing backend profits. Puttnam, who produced the acclaimed film “Chariots of Fire,” was CEO of Columbia Pictures for 15 months, from June 1986 to September 1987. Reinhold recalled being taken in by Puttnam’s creative vision, but ultimately felt let down by the CEO’s unfulfilled promises.
“Vice Versa,” a body-swap film co-starring Fred Savage, told the story of a divorced executive and his 11-year-old son who switch bodies after encountering a mysterious Tibetan skull. Unfortunately, the film was released during a crowded market, with similar movies like “Like Father Like Son” (1987), “Big” (1988), and “18 Again!” (1988) vying for audiences’ attention.
Reinhold acknowledged that the film’s premise had been done before, but was unaware of the Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron film “Like Father Like Son” being produced simultaneously by Tri-Star Pictures, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola, which also owned Columbia Pictures.
Despite the setback, Reinhold went on to enjoy a successful career, starring in the “The Santa Clause” series, making guest appearances on popular TV shows like “Ellen,” “Monk,” and “Arrested Development,” and appearing in numerous television films. He also reprised his role as Billy Rosewood in every installment of the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise, including a 2013 TV movie.
Reinhold is set to revive his role as Billy Rosewood in the upcoming Netflix film “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” streaming on July 3. The film reunites Reinhold with franchise co-stars Eddie Murphy, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot, and introduces new cast members Kevin Bacon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Taylour Paige.
The original “Beverly Hills Cop” film, released in 1984, catapulted Eddie Murphy to superstardom and spawned two sequels, cementing its place as a classic buddy-cop action comedy.
