Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have officially announced that Bad Boys 4 is in production, almost 30 years after the original was released.
Sony Pictures confirmed the fourth installment this month, announcing that it was in its pre-production phase and is set to be directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the same pair who had worked on the third movie Bad Boys for Life (2020).
The director duo were also collaborating for the Warner Bros. Batgirl flick - which was going to feature Brendan Fraser as well as Leslie Grace, who would have been the first Latina woman to lead a comic book movie adaption. In August 2022, however, the project was shelved.
Bad Boys 4 could be a light at the end of the tunnel for El Arbi and Fallah, as well as 54-year-old Smith - who was banned from the Oscars for a decade following an incident at the ceremony in 2022 when he slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face for joking about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
The action comedy movie will reunite Smith and Lawrence, 57, as Miami-Dade detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, and fans already have high expectations for it.
After all, the previous flick managed to return $426.5 million at the box office in 2020, Variety details, making it one of the last pre-pandemic blockbusters.
Smith and Lawrence treated fans to a video on Instagram announcing their upcoming return to the screen, with the 'Boom! Shake The Room' rapper telling fans that he "had an announcement" and that they "better stop scrolling, seriously" as he filmed himself hopping into his car.
"I wish I was you, not knowing what I'm about to show me," the father-of-three adds, as the song 'Shake Ya Tailfeather' from 2003's Bad Boys II soundtrack blasts in the background.
The I Am Legend actor then pulls into the driveway of a house, before Lawrence opens up the front door and says to the camera: "It's about that time." The pair then embrace and scream excitedly to the camera about an upcoming Bad Boys installment.
Soon after it was posted, the clip received tens of thousands of comments, with many users expressing their excitement.
"We're READY for Bad Boy whatever number it is," one person wrote.
"Ill be there opening weekend as usual. I always wondered why they called the 3rd Bad Boys 'Bad Boys For Life' [...] 'Bad Boys Tres Leches' would have been just fine [sic]," another comment read.
A further user chimed in with: "I don't give a damn if y'all steal from 'Toy Story' and call it 'Bad Boys Til Infinity & Beyond', bc DAMNIT we're READY!! [sic]"
There is no release date set for the yet-to-be titled Bad Boys flick, but you bet your bottom dollar I'll be in line to see it!
