Despite his more sequel-phobic behavior in recent years, Will Smith seems to be keen on the idea that Bad Boys 3 will be in theaters rather quickly. In fact, he’s so sure of the possibility that he’s even marked out a specific window where this seems extremely likely to happen.
Collider latched onto this notion after reporting on a radio interview Smith had done with Zane Lowe over at Beats 1. In that interview, Smith gave the following update on the second sequel to Michael Bay’s wildly successful 1995 hit:
There is a very, very, very strong possibility that you will be seeing a ‘Bad Boys’ within the next 12-16 months.
Collider also noted that this window lines up with the current release date that’s penciled in for Bad Boys 3, which is currently set to drop on February 17, 2017. With that release date being a recently reported piece of news, in addition to the date that Bad Boys 4 looks to have carved out for its own adventures, it appears that production on the film is ready to roll. That is, if the film hasn’t already entered the earliest stages of production already.
However, as we mentioned at the top of this piece, Will Smith’s track record with sequel participation hasn’t been very encouraging in recent history. Not only has he supposedly washed his hands of the Men In Black franchise, but he’s also going to be a no-show when Independence Day: Resurgence hits theaters next year. Considering that Bad Boys 3 has been courting Joe Carnahan to take the wheel from Michael Bay’s hands, all signs could be pointing to a new direction for the franchise’s upcoming installments.
Of course, there’s still a chance that someone could back up a dump truck of money in Will Smith’s driveway, and that Martin Lawrence might be persuaded to drop whatever current engagements he may have for one more ride. With the 12-16 month window being specified by Smith, a quick turnaround would be in the cards if Bad Boys 3 is going to stick the landing. Considering how Collateral Beauty seems destined to be grounded any day now, as well as the fact that we know Smith will be involved in the production of Bad Boys 3, it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to see Will Smith jump back in the saddle – with script writers heavily re-working the material as they go along. After all, it worked for Men In Black III, albeit with a longer production schedule in play.
For the moment, Bad Boys 3 sounds like it’s fast approaching the point of actually existing. While there’s still a lot of unknown variable floating in the air, they do not seem like any factors that can’t be solved with a couple of huge payouts and some creative on-set improvisations. Though Sony would be wise to check their sights before pulling the trigger on this project, as they could use all of the hits they can get.
Bad Boys 3 is looking to make some arrests on February 17, 2017.
