Bad Boys 4 and Beyond

Hollywood has proved time and time again that no franchise is beyond resurrecting, even if its star actors are later in their careers. But if you’re looking to get a start in your career by making an appearance in the iconic Bad Boys franchise, your chance could be coming soon. After the success of the third installment well after the release of Bad Boys II, Sony is looking to keep the train rolling.

Bad Boys Franchise History

The original Bad Boys film helped establish both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as capable action stars and signaled Michael Bay’s talents as a blockbuster filmmaker. While no one has ever accused Bay of being an amateur, the original Bad Boys film catapulted numerous careers forward and spawned several copycats.

But of course, it also gave birth to a franchise that would rake in tons of cash at the box office, with a $141,407,024 worldwide gross off of a $15,523,358 budget – and that’s in mid-90s money no less.

The premise relies on some familiar Hollywood tropes, with a pair of detectives who make their own rules being called into action to solve a drug heist. Along the way, there are plenty of cheesy one-liners, overly dramatic shots, and absurdly large explosions. This formula would prove highly bankable, which is evidenced by the success of the second entry into the franchise, Bad Boys II, which premiered in 2003, grossing $273,339,556 worldwide.

While the first sequel was produced eight years after the first, a relatively long time between sequels, the third entry in the franchise would spend seventeen years in development hell. However, Bad Boys For Life would eventually get the green light, premiering in 2020 and raking in the largest profits yet with a worldwide gross of $426,505,244.

The Future of the Bad Boys Franchise

While the Bad Boys films hadn’t exactly been on most people’s radar going into 2020, the third movie proved that explosions and nostalgia are a potent recipe for financial success, and a fourth movie was immediately greenlit after the opening weekend. There are even talks of producing a fifth and sixth movie down the road.

Previous installments have been produced in Atlanta, but this shooting location may be up in the air after a flood of announcements of companies and film productions boycotting Georgia in the wake of newly passed laws restricting voting.

As far as timing goes, it’s unlikely that subsequent films will be delayed to the extent that Bad Boys For Life was, or even the extent that Bad Boys II was for that matter. After all, its biggest star has already joined the digitally de-aged club and the latest entry was one of the biggest films of 2020. It’s likely we could see production starting in the next year, with a release date slated for 2023 or 2024.

Exact details are scarce at the moment, but keep an eye out for casting calls to go out for background cast, small speaking roles, and new characters.

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