Though Bad Boys For Life (the third one) has scuppered the chance of a brilliant numeric pun, Bad Boys 4 is in the works — and Will Smith is still coming back for his gun, badge, and slow-mo sprinting scenes, The Slap be damned. (For which, to be clear, Smith has now apologised many times over.) He's partnering up once more with Martin Lawrence, the two pictured shooting scenes for the upcoming fourquel over the summer, before the actors' strike put filming on hold.
It was confirmed in January this year that Smith and Lawrence would return, and they'll be joined by the directorial duo of Adil & Bilall, best known for helming Bad Boys For Life (for our money, the best in the franchise. Sorry to those who love Bayhem.) They also directed the canned Batgirl movie at DC Studios, but the less said about that…
Here's everything we know about Bad Boys 4 (somehow not titled Bad Boys 4 Life).
Do we know what Bad Boys 4 is gonna be about?
There's vanishingly little known about the Bad Boys 4 plot so far, with studio Sony Pictures yet to release a synopsis or log line out into the wild. But does the story ever really matter with the Bad Boys movies? Nowadays, we watch them to see Will Smith and an especially curmudgeonly Martin Lawrence stylishly shoot terrorists to bits in the sunkissed climes of Southern Florida, Miami Vice style.
Expect age to come into it more with Bad Boys 4, thematically. The third one already had them both complaining about back pain and knee aches in that “I'm getting too old for this shit” way. Rumours abound that half of the undisclosed budget was put towards an on-set chiropractor.
As to other story beats… not a clue. But there'll be guns. And explosions. And probably a boat chase or two! What more could you want?
Okay, but who else is returning?
The girls and gays will be particularly excited to hear that High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens, who kicked her fair share of drug-trafficker-ass in Bad Boys For Life, is reprising her role as weapons expert Kelly.
The new cast does come with a notable omission: Theresa Randle, who played Lawrence's wife in the first three Bad Boys movies, will be replaced by Tasha Smith of Empire and Boston Common fame.
Do we know when the boys are back to be bad?
Presuming the actors' strike doesn't push it off its current release date, Bad Boys 4 should release on 14 June 2024.
Last question: how bad will the boys of Bad Boys 4 be?
On recent evidence, at least 4 Bad Boys out of 5.
