Over the past few years of movies, there have been a sharp uptake on nostalgic properties. As such, long awaited sequels and reboots have arrived in spades-- to the joy of fans. Moviegoers were thrilled to see the Bad Boys franchise return to theaters with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah's Bad Boys for Life, resulting in a ton of money at the box office. And now it looks like Bad Boys 4 might already be in development.
The Bad Boys movies came to theaters courtesy of producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who worked on all three installments of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's beloved action franchise. Bad Boys for Life seemingly set up the plot for a fourth movie, and its box office success all but guaranteed that Sony would continue Mike and Marcus' onscreen adventures. Bruckheimer recently revealed that those plans are already set in motion, as he put it:
We had a great experience on the first one, both through the development process with Tom Rothman [chair of Sony] and his team, and then through the editing process and filming process… We put together, along with their help, a movie that’s very satisfying for the audience, and we’d like to do it again, and I think they’d like us to do it again. We’re currently working on a draft for the fourth one.
Well, this is certainly exciting. It looks like the success of Bad Boys for Life spoke volumes, allowing the property to have even more life in theaters. While it's still in the very early development process, a script for a fourth blockbuster is officially being worked on.
Jerry Bruckheimer shared this Bad Boys bombshell with Collider, which is sure to make many movie fans very happy. Because while there's no telling when it might arrive in theaters, news that Bad Boys 4 is being pursued is certainly something to celebrate. Who doesn't want to see Will Smith and Martin Lawrence continue to kick ass and provide laughs?
Bad Boys for Life arrived in theaters 17 years after Bad Boys II, with generations brought up on the first two movies. There was clearly an active fanbase, and anticipation steadily built ahead of the third movie's release. Bad Boys for Life was ultimately a critical success, and made a whopping $419 million in theaters. And since movies are all about making money, it's smart to continue the property and cash in on the rabid fanbase.
Both Mike and Marcus survived their latest adventure in Bad Boys for Life, opening the door for their eventual return. Bad Boys for Life's ending also set up that Jacob Scipio's Armando Aretas could join them on a future adventure, as Will Smith's Mike recruited him for a future mission as a way to atone for his sins. I'm also eager to see if Gabrielle Union's Sydney will appear after starring in her spinoff series L.A.'s Finest.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Bad Boys as details become public. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
