Detroit police detective Axel Foley, once known for his comedic charm, has now achieved a place in history. The 1984 classic comedy "Beverly Hills Cop," starring Eddie Murphy, has been selected for a permanent spot in the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2024. This honor is given to works with significant cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation's film heritage, as announced on Tuesday.

Honoring a Cinematic Legacy

This year's additions to the registry are a diverse range of films. From the 1982 epic "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," which became the first title from the "Star Trek" franchise to make the list, to the 1987 romantic hit "Dirty Dancing," there is something for every film enthusiast. The TCM cable channel will dedicate a special to these new registry films at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, featuring Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and National Film Preservation Board Chair Jacqueline Stewart discussing the selections.Over the years, "Beverly Hills Cop" has emerged as the biggest cinematic franchise associated with Detroit. A significant part of this is due to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a native of the Motor City. In an interview earlier this year with the Free Press about the release of the fourth installment, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F," which was released on Netflix in June, Bruckheimer shared the reason for choosing Detroit as the location. He said, "The story was originally written in another place, but I moved it to Detroit and used the high school I went to as part of Eddie's backstory. It's filled with fond memories of growing up there. What a wonderful city it was and I'm sure it still is."Pop culture in 2024 has seen a plethora of trends, from Taylor and Travis to Brat Summer and brain rot. This comedy not only made Murphy a huge movie star but also led to a surge in demand for Mumford High School T-shirts, as seen in his character's wardrobe.The other films named to the 2024 list include:"Annabelle Serpentine Dance" (1895)"KoKo's Earth Control" (1928)"Angels with Dirty Faces" (1938)"Pride of the Yankees" (1942)"Invaders from Mars" (1953)"The Miracle Worker" (1962)"The Chelsea Girls" (1966)"Ganja and Hess" (1973)"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974)"Uptown Saturday Night" (1974)Zora Lathan student films (1975-76)"Up in Smoke" (1978)"Will" (1981)"Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan" (1982)"Dirty Dancing" (1987)"Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt" (1989)"Powwow Highway" (1989)"My Own Private Idaho" (1991)"American Me" (1992)"Mi Familia" (1995)"Compensation" (1999)"Spy Kids" (2001)"No Country for Old Men" (2007)"The Social Network" (2010)The public submitted a remarkable 6,744 titles for consideration this year. They can continue to submit nominations throughout the year on the Library's website. Nominations for the next year will be accepted until August 15, 2025.Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.