This summer, when Bad Boys: Ride of Die hits theaters, will it be the end of the road for Martin Lawrence and Will Smith’s iconic buddy cop partnership? While I suspected the title spoke for itself and was hinting at an upcoming finale, it turns out I could be wrong.
The fourth Bad Boys movie has Smith’s Detective Mike Lowrey and Lawrence’s Marcus Miles Burnett riding side by side once again to investigate corruption within the Miami PD by helping clear the name of Joe Pantoliano’s late Captain Conrad Howard. When the pair of funny actors attended the Bad Boys premiere, they were asked about if they might be ready to pass the torch of the franchise. Here’s what they told The Hollywood Reporter:
Will Smith: “We might have one more in us before we hand it off, but we got a lot of young seeds in there.”
Martin Lawrence: “The back ain’t went out quite yet, so before we do that — we ain’t going to pass it off just yet.”
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Well, there you have it! It sounds like the pair of Bad Boys leads are interested in keeping their names on the action series… that is until one of their backs goes out. I guess I stand corrected on Ride Or Die signaling the end of the Bad Boys.
Of course, perhaps the best indicator of the future of Bad Boys is how it does when it comes out this summer. When Adil & Bilall directed Bad Boys For Life (prior to coming back for Ride Or Die), the filmmakers have actually recalled titling it as they did because they thought it would be the final movie for the Bad Boys franchise. To their surprise, the movie was a huge success, becoming the highest grossing installment in the franchise and making $424 million off of a production budget of $90 million.
I don’t know about you, but imagining a Bad Boys movie without Smith and Lawrence just doesn’t feel right. Of course, I could see Hollywood going that route someday, but why do so when these two are still having fun with their iconic characters? Now that I think about it more, Ride Or Die could more be referring to the buddy cops who do everything in their power to clear the bill of their captain, even after his death. You can check out the Bad Boys: Ride Or Die trailer below:
Bad Boys: Ride or Die was actually screened for the first time a couple of weeks ago to high praise. Some of its first audiences called it a “total blast,” “a perfect blend of old-school and new hip culture” and even the “BEST Bad Boys movie ever” by one viewer. You can look forward to the movie hitting theaters on June 7, and check out what other 2024 movies are on the way here on CinemaBlend.
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