Bad Boys 5
gets a new update from Martin Lawrence, who teases the franchise’s future. Lawrence and Will Smith made their debut as detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey, respectively, back in Michael Bay’s hit original Bad Boys movie in 1995. The duo returned for three sequels, most recently hitting the big screen together in Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) from directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Following that film’s success, there has been excitement regarding a potential Bad Boys 5, though nothing has been confirmed just yet.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lawrence is asked about the Bad Boys franchise’s future, and he shares a hopeful response about a fifth movie and beyond. According to the star, he hasn’t spoken with Smith about story ideas for the next installment, but he does reveal that conversations are happening at Sony about the project. Check out Lawrence’s comment below:
It means a great deal to me because that was me and Will’s baby. You know, that’s what we started with. And to get four strong, successful films out of them, we couldn’t ask for much more. And hopefully, as long as the audience wants to see them, we’ll be able to put them out. […]
I think we gotta give you five. That’s what I’m thinking. […] Me and [Will Smith] haven’t talked about an idea or nothing, but the studio is.
What Lawrence’s Update Means For Bad Boys 5
Ride Or Die’s Performance Explains Sony’s Interest In Another Movie
A fifth film hasn’t gotten the green light just yet, but Lawrence’s latest update is a promising sign that the movie will eventually come to fruition. Sony’s interest in another sequel isn’t surprising given the response to Bad Boys: Ride or Die last spring. Reviews were generally positive from critics, earning the film a 65% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was with audiences that the film really took off.
Related
Not Even Bad Boys 5 Will Break One Will Smith Record, Despite New $1 Billion Milestone
Despite how lucrative the Bad Boys franchise has become, not even a fifth film installment would help break one big Will Smith box office record.
Ride or Die‘s Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes is a glowing 96%, and this positive sentiment is reflected in the movie’s box office performance. Made on an estimated budget of $100 million, the fourth Bad Boys movie grossed an impressive $404 million worldwide. This commercial success came after Smith’s infamous Oscars slap in 2022, and it essentially confirmed that general audiences weren’t aware of the incident or didn’t care about it. Ride or Die confirmed Smith’s status as an audience draw, and Sony is evidently still keen to work with the actor on another installment.
The four Bad Boys movies have now cumulatively grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Our Take On Lawrence’s Bad Boys 5 Update
Ride Or Die Set A High Bar
While it’s a promising sign that Sony is interested in another Bad Boys movie, it doesn’t sound like a compelling story idea is in place just yet. After the positive response to Ride or Die, the next movie faces a high bar to deliver another entertaining chapter in the Mike and Marcus story. Another sequel should arguably only move forward if there is a strong story reason for it to exist, otherwise it could end up feeling like a cash grab.
It remains to be seen where things will go for Mike and Marcus next after the Bad Boys: Ride or Die ending, but there are still story threads and characters worth pursuing when the credits roll on that film. With talks happening behind-the-scenes, it may not be long before more concrete Bad Boys 5 news emerges.
Source: Entertainment Tonight