Martin Lawrence Announces Plans for 'Bad Boys 3'
S—t just got reel. Last night, during an appearance on Conan, Martin Lawrence confirmed that a new installment of Bad Boys — the guns n’ sun action franchise starring Lawrence and Will Smith — is in the works.
"I believe [it’s happening], yes," Martin told O’Brien. "I just talked to Jerry [Bruckheimer] yesterday, and he said it’s real, [that] they’re working on a script…it all looks good." He also implied that Smith was back on board, as well.
It’s been clear for a while now that Lawrence was eager for more Bad behavior: Last month, he wrote a post on Facebook to mark the anniversary of the release of 2003’s Bad Boys II, noting: “11 years ago today, Bad Boys II was released in theaters. Feelin’ it’s about time for number 3… what do you think Will Smith?”
Lawrence likely isn’t alone in his desire for a new Boys film. Though it’s been more than a decade since he teamed up with Smith on-screen, the Michael Bay-directed films — known for their excessive explosions, quippy banter, and general lack of restraint — remain popular among both action-film aficionados and internet snarkicists. Director Edgar Wright paid homage to the series in his 2007 comedy Hot Fuzz, and one of Bad Boys II's most melodramatic moments has been a popular web-meme for years now.
Still, getting a sequel off the ground has proved tough: Smith and Bay both discussed the idea publicly back as 2008, during an appearance before the MTV Movie Awards, but noted that the films' stars (and their director) were so well-paid that another installment would be too expensive; since then, such screenwriters as Peter Craig (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1) and David Guggenheim (Safe House) have been attached, but last night’s announcement makes it clear the sequel might finally be happening. Lawrence even has a role for Conan in mind: ”A crooked cop on crack,” he told the host.
