ScreenPlayas has recently been through a four-month hiatus, and what a ride these four months have been. Captain America had gone to being a Nazi and back again, Pokèmon have reconquered the love of the millennials (those critters are die-hards…understandably so), Harry Potter has returned for an eighth chapter with mixed reviews, and the heated debate regarding the success/failure of the future of the DC film universe rages on. This week, however, a long-dormant franchise has resurfaced on the news front and what better way could there be for ScreenPlayas to reawaken from its hiatus than to report on the development of a sleeping film series?
The Bad Boys were played by Will Smith (Mike Lowery) and Martin Lawrence (Marcus Burnett) in 1995 and again in 2003 for Bad Boys 2. There have been talks of a third entry for years, but now we know it to be a January 2018 release. Not only that, but there is an official title, and it’s not Bad Boys 3. The official title of the movie is now Bad Boys for Life, parroting one of the better quotes to come out of this series.
For those who don’t recall, the motto that brought these disparate personalities together was “We ride together, we die together. Bad boys for life”. Seeing as how Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett have successfully ridden together without dying together (spoiler alert?) one may argue that there is still a future in these films, for better or worse.
Remember that one time Will Smith and Martin Lawrence busted a gathering of KKK drug dealers?
The bickering duo was introduced by producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay, and both returned for the sequel as well. The series is mostly known for the constant disagreement between Burnett and Lowery, along with the Michael Bay-esque action scenes. So far, we know that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are slated to return for a 3rd as well as a 4th film, though Will Smith’s contract with DC playing Deadshot may complicate things a bit. Seeing Will Smith revisit an old franchise may be a breath of fresh (prince of bel…) air, after finding out that he was killed off-screen before the events of Independence Day: Resurgence.
No, this is not a photo of Will Smith discovering his death in Independence Day, but we like to pretend it is.
One major player that we know isn’t coming back is director Michael Bay, having been replaced by Joe Carnahan. For those wondering, Carnahan is known for having directed The Grey, The A-Team, Smokin Aces and a cluster of episodes on The Blacklist.
Buddy-cop comedies with racial humor are a dying breed in the current age of blockbuster cinema, and many commenters are wondering if Burnett and Lowery still have a place in the box office. We’re interested in seeing where Carnahan takes these two narcotics officers during their mission to clean up the streets of Miami.
There is currently no news on which recurring cast members may return, including Gabrielle Union and Joe Pantoliano. For those who’ve never seen these movies or simply need to refresh their memory, the 2:43 minute clip below is one of the most memorable moments from this series, and also includes an explanation for the title of the upcoming Bad Boys For Life.
By: Michael Gonzalez