‘Bad boys’ Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to return for fourth instalment of movie

LOS ANGELES — Actor Will Smith has officially confirmed a fourth film in the Bad Boys franchise will go ahead, in an Instagram video.

The video starts off with Smith saying, “Yo, I’ve got an announcement, y’all better stop scrolling seriously,” as he gets into his car.

As he drives, Shake Ya Tailfeather by Nelly, P Diddy and Murphy Lee from the soundtrack of 2003’s Bad Boys II can be heard playing in the background, and Smith says, “I wish I was you, not knowing what I’m about to show me.

Smith arrives at actor and co-star Martin Lawrence’s front door where he is greeted by his fellow bad boy, who asks: “Is it about that time?”

“It’s about that time, it’s official,” shouts Smith as they hug and holler.

The pair are seen joking that they should not have wasted the Bad Boys For Life title on the third film, as they could have saved it for a pun on the fourth film title.

Followers were quick to respond to Smith’s video. “Let’s go!!!” said djkhaled. “Wowowowowowowowow,” said djjazzyjeff. “Amazing news! You guys are my forever crushes!” said realjoeypants.

The currently untitled sequel will be directed by the same duo who made the scrapped Batgirl film, the BBC reported.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have already directed one previous movie in the franchise — 2020’s Bad Boys For Life.

That instalment was one of the last successful blockbusters before the Covid pandemic, taking US$426 million (RM1.8 billion) at the box office.

Last summer, Lawrence played down the suggestion that the next instalment may be called off. “We’ve got one more at least,” he told Ebony magazine.

It’s been almost a year since Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars and the public backlash that ensued prompted speculation about Smith’s future as a box office attraction.

It particularly cast doubt over the status of Bad Boys 4, which Sony had already announced was in development.

However, it will now move forward, and comes after Smith was recently seen in the lead role in Apple’s Emancipation.

Although that movie only had a short cinema run and has been overlooked at this year’s Oscars, the limited public backlash to its release may have reassured other studios that Smith’s image can be gradually rehabilitated.