While Sony has been teasing the prospects ofBad Boys 3for quite some time, everyone was shocked to learn that bothBad Boys 3andBad Boys 4are gearing up for production. The studio even issued confirmedrelease datesfor both films, with the first sequel to hit in 2017, and the second to arrive in 2019. We’ve yet to hear manydetailson either project. And what many fans are wondering isWill Smith’s level of participation.
Bad Boys 3just wouldn’t beBad Boys 3withoutWill Smithsomehow involved. In a newTHRreport focusing on Tom Rothman and his post-Amy Pascal film schedule that was released last week, we learn Smith’s role in theproduction. Namely that he will be involved in some capacity. But according to an inside source at the studio, it is not yet known if he will star in the movie, produce the movie or both. If he only shows up as a producer, you can bet a lot of fans are going to be disappointed.
It’s been more than a decade since directorMichael Bayunleashed his wild,action-packedrideBad Boys II. While it was first written off by critics as an over-the-top, sometimes offensive piece of cinematic garbage, it has become beloved by action fans worldwide, and is even the subject of much adoration in the 2007 releaseHot Fuzz. Thefranchisekicked off in 1995 with the originalBad Boys, which was also directed byMichael Bay. The story follows two Miami detectives played byWill SmithandMartin Lawrence.Will Smithplayed Mike Lowery, the bachelor who plays by his own rules, andMartin Lawrencewas family man Marcus Burnett. And their different lifestyles made them the perfect cop buddy team. It also twisted the black cop-white cop convention that had been prominent up until that time. The first film pulled in $141 worldwide, though critics were never too kind.
7 years later, audience’s appetites for the series had doubled, withBad Boys IIpulling in $237 million worldwide. Some call it one of the most excessive cop thrillers to ever grace the silver screen, and it is a movie full of unbelievable, almost cartoonish action sequences. At one point in the film, Mike and Marcus drive their bright yellow Humvee through a Cuban favela, crashing into homes as it plows through the mountain side with no regard for human life. It’s rumored thatMichael Baydidn’t want to direct the sequel, and used the film as an excuse to rack up a huge budget.
So far, there is no word, or even a hint that the director could return. His13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazihas wrapped shooting and will be in theaters this January. He will then return to directTransformers 5, which is also releasing in 2017. It’s unlikely that we’ll seeMichael Baybehind the camera onBad Boys 3orBad Boys 4.
WithoutMichael Baydirecting and the possibility thatWill Smithmight not even appear in the movie, should it even be calledBad Boys 3? The chances thatWill Smithdoesn’t show up on screen are slim. And while he hasn’t been confirmed,Martin Lawrencehas made it known in the very recent past that he wants to return. Will Sony be able to find another director that can inject this franchise with as much energy as previous installments? That has yet to be seen, but with that 2017 release date looming, and a 2016 start date inevitable, we’ll probably hear more about these sequels sooner than later.
