‘Cobra’ Would Have Been ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ if Sylvester Stallone Had His Way
https://filmschoolrejects.com/cobra-beverly-hills-cop/
In Sly’s version of Beverly Hills Cop, the main character’s name was changed from Foley to Cobretti, and the comedy was replaced with action set-pieces and hard-edged violence. If Paramount pressed ahead with Stallone’s script, the film would have cost even more to make. Unable to see eye to eye with their star, the producers replaced him with Murphy. The decision to ditch Stallone paid off too, as Beverly Hills Cop was a huge hit.share
Afterward, Stallone repurposed his Beverly Hills Cop ideas and Cobra was born. The Cannon Group — which was probably the only studio that would happily give Stallone $25 million to make a violent vanity project — stepped up to the plate and supported his vision. George P. Cosmatos was hired to direct the film, but it’s believed that Stallone was the real captain of the ship. Of course, that rumor is hardly surprising considering that Stallone has a history of overseeing his own projects. Whoever really helmed Cobra did a great job.
Upon release, Cobra was a box office hit, grossing $160 million worldwide. And while the film’s critical lampooning and subsequent Razzie Award nominations effectively killed any interest in a sequel right away, a ZX Spectrum game was released to coincide with the film. The game bears little resemblance to the movie, but it’s a fun little romp all the same. However, if you want to see a movie that exists because of Cobra, I highly recommend Black Cobra starring Fred Williamson. Unlike Stallone’s gem, Black Cobra spawned three sequels.
Still, it’s a shame that Stallone’s renegade detective didn’t receive further cinematic outings. Cobretti is a great action hero, and Stallone is clearly a fan of the character. Rocky Balboa and John Rambo are his golden geese, but Cobretti was the hero with franchise potential that got away. I’m sure he has no regrets about turning down Beverly Hills Cop, though — the actor is still kicking ass to this day. Furthermore, Stallone being fired from the other ’80s classic led to two great movies being made as a result. In the end, fans of action cinema were spoiled.