Shooting on “Bad Boys 4” is currently suspended due to the ongoing strike in Hollywood. But that’s not stopping the directors behind the actioner from providing an update on the highly anticipated sequel
After “Bad Boys 2,” there were repeated plans to continue the explosive buddy cop series with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence – but they repeatedly came to nothing over the years. In 2020 – a full 17 (!) years after part 2 – the Michael Bay successors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were able to present a third part with “Bad Boys For Life” and successfully revive the franchise.
After a worldwide box office of 426.5 million dollars (with production costs of 90 million dollars), it should go faster with “Bad Boys 4”. And indeed – despite some stumbling blocks such as the controversy surrounding Will Smith’s Oscar slap – the first take was made in April 2023 for the next sequel, which is scheduled for release in 2024. Currently, however, filming has to pause indefinitely because of the actors’ and actresses’ strike in Hollywood.
To bridge the waiting time a little, the director duo El Arbi/Fallah, who are once again responsible for the production, have now talked a little bit in the podcast of the website The Playlist and revealed, among other things, what they would like to call the fourth “Bad Boys”…
“BAD BOYS 4” = “BAD BOYS RIDE OR DIE”?
“The title we like – and I don’t know yet if the proposal will really be accepted [by the studio] – is ‘Bad Boys Ride Or Die’ because ‘Bad Boys 4 Life’ was already taken,” Adil El Arbi told The Playlist in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Part 3 already bears the latter title. And that although it would have been better suited for part 4, because the word “for” could also be paraphrased with the number 4, which sounds the same in English.
“Ride or die” can be translated literally as “ride or die”, but as a fixed phrase it describes above all very close relationships of people who go through thick and thin together – which fits very well to the friends Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence). They, too, are willing to face and overcome any challenge, no matter how great, with each other, or fail in the attempt (or even die when the chips are really down).
MORE COMEDY IN “BAD BOYS 4”
‘Bad Boys 4’ possible title will be ‘BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE’, confirms directors.
(Via: @ThePlaylistNews) pic.twitter.com/3HRJZP2R0d
– The Hollywood Handle (@hollywoodhandle) September 15, 2023
But the somewhat ominous title by no means means means that “Bad Boys 4” will come across as more serious and somber than its three predecessors – quite the opposite, as El Arbi makes clear: “There will be much more comedy. The third one had more of a dramatic tone. With this one, our goal is to make people laugh and make sure they have a good time at the movies.”
Let’s just hope that this focus is not at the expense of the usual hard action, with which the humor in the first three parts (sometimes more, sometimes less) balanced. We should be smarter in less than a year: “Bad Boys 4” is scheduled for release in German theaters on June 13, 2024 – although depending on the duration of the aforementioned strikes, it remains to be seen whether the date will have to be postponed again.
THE CLIMAX OF MARCUS’ STORY
In addition to Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, part 4 will also see the return of the younger cop guard around Vanessa Hudgens, Charles Melton and Alexander Ludwig, as well as their supervisor Paola Núñez, who are familiar from the direct predecessor. Newcomers include “Better Call Saul” star Rhea Seehorn, ex-“Fantastic Four” leader Ioan Gruffudd and “Grey’s Anatomy” doctor Eric Dane (presumably as the villain).
Newcomer Tasha Smith (“Empire”), meanwhile, will step into a familiar role, replacing Theresa Randle as Marcus Burnett’s wife Theresa. That one could also get a bit more prominence, as “Bad Boys 4” aka “Bad Boys Ride Or Die” is expected to put Marcus more front and center and be the climax of his story, according to El Arbi and Fallah.
